Hallikainen, C. (2017). Pre-service primary teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge analysis of pre-service teachers’ lesson plans [Master’s thesis, University of Eastern Finland]. http://epublications.uef.fi/pub/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20170905/urn_nbn_fi_uef-20170905.pdf

Abstract:

“The march of technology creates new learning goals and challenges teachers to improve their technological skills. Teacher education’s task is to prepare pre-service teachers to confront these challenges and guide them to make use of the new digital learning environments. By studying pre-service teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge one can find out what kind of guidance do pre-service teachers need to work as an innovative in-service teacher. This thesis discusses lesson plans made by pre-service primary teachers from the perspective of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Theories of conceptions of teaching and learning, the national core curriculum for basic education implemented in fall 2016, previous research in educational technology and visions of future technology are also taken in to account as underlying theories. The data consists of 60 lesson plans, which included 238 different teaching activities. Qualitative content analysis was used to determine technological and pedagogical knowledge in the activities. Pedagogical knowledge was described through used teaching methods as conceptions of teaching and learning. Technological knowledge was described through the devices and software used. Technological pedagogical knowledge is combined from the results of TK and PK with ATLAS.ti software. The most often mentioned technologies in the lesson plans were tablets and office tools. It appears that pre-service teacher planned to use more student-centered activities than teacher-centered activities. Teaching methods used by pre-service teacher seemed to be mostly congruent with the core curriculum. Based on the results it appears that pre-service teachers were able to plan instructions with common educational ICT tools, but there were still some areas of improvement on pre-service teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge. The results and previous studies suggest that teacher education should encourage pre-service teacher to make use of the new innovative technologies. Teacher education should also help pre-service teachers to find suitable pedagogical solutions through practical experience.”