What is TPACK exactly?

In this post I will explain what TPACK includes in my opinion. I will also explain what the different components of the model include and how they relate to each other.

TPACK is an abbreviation of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Mishra and Koehler (2009) are the founders of the TPACK model, which is presented in Figure 1. In my opinion TPACK is the knowledge of the teacher on how to integrate technology in a lesson with a specific content, where a specific pedagogical approach is used. To reach TPACK, you need to have knowledge about three different aspects and you must be able to combine these three into your lessons. The three main aspects of TPACK are technology, pedagogy and content. In the model these aspects are presented as the colored circles.

By technology I mean all kinds of technologies, like computers, whiteboards, video cameras and so on. The teacher need to have knowledge about the availability of these kinds of technology, but also about how these technologies work. So, just Technological Knowledge (TK) is not enough. In my opinion the teacher also need to have the skills to work with it.

The second main aspect, Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), is about different pedagogical approaches. The teacher has to have knowledge about the learning process of the students and the pedagogical approaches that suits them the best. Pedagogy is a broad concept. I think the teacher needs the knowledge about different teaching strategies and the skills to apply these strategies or approaches. Next to that Pedagogical Knowledge also includes knowledge about the use of useful resources. Another important thing is knowledge about the students. The teacher must have knowledge about their students’ prior knowledge, their curriculum and their personal development. The teacher has to think of all these aspects when he/she has to use a specific pedagogical approach.

In the last colored circle you see the Content Knowledge (CK). When I think about content knowledge, I think about the content or subject that the teacher is teaching. As a teacher you must have knowledge about what your students will learn, that’s obvious. But I think a teacher also needs knowledge about the theories, facts and/or frameworks behind this content. Moreover, the teacher must be able to give examples about the content in my opinion. If the students have questions about the content, the teacher must have sufficient knowledge to give a good answer to the questions related to the subject matter.



(Source: http://www.tpack.org)



As you can see in the model there are four overlapping parts between the three main circles. Three of these overlapping parts are combinations of two kinds of knowledge (circles).

The first part is the overlapping part between Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) and Content Knowledge (CK), what is obviously called Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). A teacher must have this knowledge to teach specific subjects on the right way. Thereby the teacher must be able to handle with misconceptions and difficulties about the content. The teacher needs to have knowledge about the content and the pedagogical approach he/she has to apply for this content. For a teacher it’s important to know how to organize a lesson, to adapt on your students and the content and to create a fruitful instruction.

Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) is also overlapped by Technological Knowledge (TK). This means that a teacher also needs Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). In my opinion this is knowledge about how to teach with the use of technology, but also the adaptation of your pedagogical approach(es) to technology. In some pedagogical approaches the use of technology, or ICT, can be very useful. I think the teacher must know how to deal with technology in their lessons and how teaching and learning can change when technologies are used.

The last overlapping part between two circles is Technological Content Knowledge (TCK). I think this includes the knowledge about using technology for teaching a particular content or subject. The teacher must know how subject matter changes because of technology. Not for every content the use of technology can be added value. That is something that the teacher has to decide, for which subject matter technology can be useful. Knowledge about how technology can support the content is very important for the instruction.

In the middle of the model you see an overlapping part between all the three kinds of knowledge. This part is what we call Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). To create TPACK, a teacher has to have knowledge about how technology, pedagogy and content can be combined. So, he/she has to know how to use technology in a lesson with a particular content where a specific pedagogical approach is used. Once the teacher has reached TPACK, he or she can make many combinations of the different aspects. For a teacher it’s an option to start with a specific content, then choose a suitable pedagogical approach and after that decide what kind of technology will support the lesson. In this case it could be that a teacher want to teach their students something about biology. Because of this content he/she could decide to use an inquiry learning approach, where the students has to go outside to discover the biology by themselves. At last this learning process can be supported by technology like making pictures of it with a photo camera for instance. But off course it’s also a possibility to start with the technology, for instance a simulation. Because of this simulation the teacher can decide to teach a specific subject matter by a specific pedagogical approach. At last the starting point can also be the pedagogical approach. For example the teacher can create a lesson based on collaborative learning, which he/she combines with a specific topic and a suitable kind of technology. So, with TPACK there are many options for a teacher.

The last aspect I want to explain is the blue dotted circle around the model. This circle means that the context always influences reaching and using TPACK. Every teacher has different circumstances. Different types of schools, preferences of teachers, the background of the students are some of the aspects that can influence the use of TPACK. The teacher has to handle with aspects like these and must be able to find a solution to use TPACK in the best way.

My opinion is that TPACK is a great framework for teachers. If I were a teacher I would definitely use it, because I think it will professionalize you as a teacher. This model can always be used as a framework for creating lessons, in every situation..

Reference:

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.