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Pre-service Primary School Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Regarding a Science Unit

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Abstract

This study aimed to unveil pre-service primary school teachers’ (PPSTs) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) regarding the unit “Let’s Recognize the Force” suggested by grade 3 science curriculum. Through a single-case (holistic) design of case study method, 43 PPSTs voluntarily participated in the study. To collect data, a Google Form with open-ended questions was developed and administered. In analysing the data, the authors improved a four-point rubric to evaluate the quality of their responses. Hence, they scored their responses through the rubric and imported them into SPSS 20.0™ to run correlation analysis for TPACK components. Also, their responses were exposed to content analysis to generate their conceptual schemes via the “cut-off” points. The findings showed that the PPSTs had some shortcomings in associating and transforming their TPACK to the unit “Let’s Recognize the Force.” The current study recommends that future research should focus on how to improve the PPSTs’ domain-specific TPACK.

Résumé

Cette étude a pour objectif de dévoiler les connaissances en matière de cohérence entre la technologie, la pédagogie et le contenu (« technological pedagogical content knowledge [TPACK]») des enseignants du primaire en formation initiale (EPFI) en ce qui a trait à l’unité « Reconnaissons la force» proposée dans le programme de sciences de la troisième année. Dans le cadre d’une méthode de modèle d’étude de cas unique (holistique), 43 EPFI ont participé volontairement à l’étude. Pour recueillir les données, on a conçu un formulaire Google à questions ouvertes et on l’a soumis aux participants. Lors de l’analyse des données, les auteurs ont amélioré une grille d’évaluation en quatre points pour évaluer la qualité des réponses. Ils ont donc noté les réponses données à l’aide de cette grille et les ont importées dans le progiciel nommé (en français) Ensemble des programmes statistiques relatif aux sciences sociales (« Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS])» 20.0TM afin de réaliser une analyse de corrélation pour les composantes du « TPACK». De plus, les réponses ont également fait l’objet d’une analyse de contenu afin de générer leurs schémas conceptuels par le biais des points de raccourci. Les résultats indiquent que les EPFI présentent quelques lacunes dans l’association et la transformation de leur « TPACK» pour l’unité « Reconnaissons la force». Dans cette étude, on recommande que les recherches futures se concentrent sur les façons d’améliorer le « TPACK» s’appliquant au domaine particulier des EPFI.

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Data Availability

The datasets analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study is part of the first author’s master thesis (entitled Identifying pre-service primary school teachers’ schemes of technological pedagogical content knowledge: A case of “Let’s Recognize the Force” unit) supervised by the second author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Taşlıdere Primary School, 75000, Ardahan, Türkiye

    Derya Çağlar

  2. Department of Elementary Teacher Education, Fatih Faculty of Education, Trabzon University, 61300, Trabzon, Türkiye

    Muammer Çalik

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  1. Derya Çağlar
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  2. Muammer Çalik
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Correspondence to Muammer Çalik.

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All procedures performed in this study followed the ethical standards of the Department of Health Standards on Human Research (DOH/QD/SD/HSR/0.9) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The second author is the editorial board member of the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education. All review procedures were handled by Associate Editor (Prof. Dr. Isha DeCoito).

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Çağlar, D., Çalik, M. Pre-service Primary School Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Regarding a Science Unit. Can. J. Sci. Math. Techn. Educ. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-024-00317-1

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