Criteria for examining constructionist-oriented TPACK confidence and analyzing lesson plans of pre-service science teachers

Abstract

     The study investigated science student teachers’ confidence of constructionist-oriented technological pedagogical content knowledge (constructionist-oriented TPACK) and their ability to integrate technological and pedagogical knowledge for teaching-specific science content through a constructionist viewpoint. The constructionist-oriented TPACK criterion-based approach was created and used as a framework for developing a questionnaire of constructionist-oriented TPACK confidence and a check-list form of lesson plan analysis. The five-point rating scale questionnaire consisting of 58 statements with seven domains of TPACK was validated by three experts and the reliability proved sufficient (Cronbach’s alpha equal to .98). It was administered to 65 third-year science student teachers. The data revealed that they had medium-to-high confidence of their constructionist-oriented TPACK. Additionally, 10 lesson plans of the science student teachers were randomly selected and analyzed. The results showed that the student teachers’ lesson plans illustrated strengths in technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge and weaknesses in technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge. These results revealed that there is a substantial difference between the TPACK confidence survey and the actual lesson plans which needs to be addressed and further developed.