Section archive - ICT & Teaching

The current study focuses on the development of Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (TPACK) in mathematics and science of pre-service special education teachers for teaching mathematics and science via one course. The findings revealed that upon completion of the course requirements, the participants’ TPACK scores for the lesson plans increased significantly reaching, on average, the second out of five levels of TPACK.

This study explored the influence of a researcher-conjectured learning trajectory instructional approach toward the enhancement of teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The study provides a rich description of how a learning trajectory, situated within a social metacognitive - constructivist instructional framework, influenced the participants’ thinking about their own thinking with the technology in learning mathematics/science and their thinking about their students’ thinking and understanding when learning with the technology. Three themes emerged: The learning trajectory as an ordered network of experiences is multi-faceted; the tools are used for sharing knowledge as well as constructing knowledge; and the tasks sequence the participant in the role of a ‘teacher as a student’ transitioning to the role of ‘teacher as a teacher’.

This article describes the aspects of iPad use which preservice teachers perceived as beneficial in the forces and motion unit. The results revealed that at many stages of this process, the preservice teachers used iPads to abstract ideas from physical experience. Preservice teachers’ responses showed that these experiences were perceived as valuable, both in terms of an understanding of the underlying content and completion of the project as a whole. Additionally, participants described how the iPad influenced instructional efficiency, engagement, and social learning. The authors recommend that it is highly relevant to the development of preservice teachers’ critical pedagogical skills that they confront and discuss both the strengths and weakness of the iPads for various purposes, as well as analyze the way the device shapes student interaction.

This article is intended to address, evaluate and encourage the use of blogging amongst pre-service teachers specifically focused on science teacher education. This appraisal was conducted by looking at the activity and the experiences of the pre-service teachers, and the role that blogging played in their interactions and growth as pedagogues. The project reveals that blogging can be a useful as a tool in pre-service education because the practices and thought processes of PSTs are revealed and shared beyond face-to-face interactions.