Secondary mathematics preservice teachers' development of technology pedagogical content knowledge in subject-specific, technology-integrated teacher preparation program

Graduation date: 2006The purpose of this study was to describe the development of mathematics\ud preservice teachers’ technology pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) in a\ud subject specific, technology integrated teacher preparation program. The study also\ud investigated the roles of several influential components of the program and the\ud technology thread throughout the program in supporting preservice teacher\ud development of TPCK. Courses attendances, classroom observations, interviews,\ud questionnaires, classroom artifacts, researcher journal, and preservice teachers’\ud work samples were gathered to explore the progress of the preservice teachers’\ud TPCK during a one year program. Three cases of preservice teachers were\ud purposefully selected to describe the development of their TPCK. Each case\ud consisted of three episodes, prior to the program, during the course work, and\ud during student teaching. Each episode provided the preservice teachers’ description\ud about their TPCK in the context of the program.\ud The primary finding was that all three preservice teachers showed various\ud degrees of understanding the four components of TPCK: an overarching conception\ud what it means to teach mathematics with technology; knowledge of instructional\ud strategies and representation; knowledge of students’ understanding, thinking, and\ud learning; knowledge of curriculum and curriculum materials that integrate\ud technology in mathematics. The second finding was that the different\ud understanding of those preservice teachers’ TPCK affected their practices during\ud student teaching. These preservice teachers’ practices of TPCK were categorized\ud into four different levels, accepting, adapting, exploring and advancing. Finally,\ud the study found that the preservice teachers indicated that all the coursework in the\ud program was primarily responsible for the development of their particular levels of\ud TPCK. This finding also provided specific evidence that the technology courses\ud thread in the program was integrated and interconnected throughout the program.\ud Future research recommendations are included for the investigation of: (1)\ud actions the teacher preparation program needs to take for improving on the different\ud levels of preservice teachers’ TPCK (2) the relationship of the cooperating teachers,\ud university supervisors, and course instructors’ understanding of TPCK on the\ud preservice teachers’ TPCK development; and (3) identification of significant\ud relationships between preservice teachers’ TPCK during the program and their use\ud of technology in their future teaching career