Understanding the relationship between Singapore preservice teachers’ ICT course experiences and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) through ICT course evaluation

• Published in: Educational assessment, evaluation and accountability Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 321 - 339
• Main Authors: Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling, Woo, Huay-Lit, Lim, Wei-Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Assessment; Cohort Analysis; Communications technology; Community colleges; Correlation; Course Content; Course Evaluation; Curricula; Demographics; Education; Education parks; Educational Environment; Educational Practices; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Gender; Graduate Surveys; Information technology; Innovations; Knowledge; Learning; Methods; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Pedagogy; Perceptions; Polls & surveys; Preservice Teachers; Program Descriptions; Program Design; Program Validation; Psychometrics; Regression (Statistics); Regression analysis; School environment; School facilities; Singapore; Student Experience; Student Teacher Attitudes; Teacher education; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Technological Literacy; Technology Acceptance Model; Technology adoption; Technology Education; Technology Integration; Technology Uses in Education; Testing and Evaluation; Training; Singapore; TPACK; Preservice teacher training; Course experiences; ICT course evaluation; ICT curriculum design
• ISSN: 1874-8597; 1874-8600
• DOI: 10.1007/s11092-013-9165-y

Teacher education institutions conduct information and communications technology (ICT) courses to prepare preservice teachers (or initial teacher education candidates) to support their teaching practice with appropriate ICT tools. ICT course evaluations based on preservice teachers’ perception of course experiences are limited in indicating the kinds of ICT integration knowledge or technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) preservice teachers have gained throughout the course. Preservice teachers’ ICT course experiences was found to influence their intentions to integrate ICT but its influence on their TPACK perceptions, if better understood, can inform teacher education institutions about the design of ICT courses. This study describes the design and validation of an ICT course evaluation instrument that examines preservice teachers’ perceptions of ICT course experiences and TPACK. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed on survey results collected from a graduating cohort of 869 Singapore preservice teachers who had undergone a compulsory ICT course during their teacher training program. These preservice teachers were being prepared to teach the different subject areas at primary, secondary, and junior colleges (or postsecondary institutions for 17–19 year olds) in Singapore. The regression model showed that preservice teachers’ perceived TPACK was first influenced by their perceptions of course experiences that supported the development of intermediary TPACK knowledge components such as technological knowledge and technological pedagogical knowledge. The methodological implications for the design of ICT course evaluation surveys and the practical applications of survey results to the refinement of ICT course curriculum are discussed.