Waseela, A. (2022). Teachers’ TPACK and technology integration in teaching and learning: A case study in The Maldives. [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. QUT ePrints. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/230501/1/Aminath_Waseela_Thesis.pdf

Abstract:

“A significant policy agenda in the Maldives has recently been directed towards improving
education for all by levering digital technology. In line with these policy directives, the
Ministry of Education has been providing schools with both technology infrastructure and
training programs. However, research has shown that the success of technology integration
initiatives hinges on the knowledge and skills of teachers to effectively integrate technology in classroom teaching. Consequently, gaining an understanding of teachers’ technology
knowledge and its integration can provide valuable insights on strategies that can be adopted to enhance teaching, especially in developing country contexts such as the Maldives, where research is scant.

This explanatory mixed-method study investigated Maldivian secondary education
teachers’ knowledge and integration of digital technology in teaching and learning. For this
purpose, the study explored three key research questions: perception of Maldivian in-service
teachers on the constructs of the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK)
framework (RQ1), how Maldivian in-service teachers implement technologies in their
classrooms and the perceived impact on students’ cognitive engagement (RQ2), and the factors that influence teachers’ technology integration in their classroom teaching (RQ3). During phase one, self-reported survey data were gathered from 485 in-service teachers in year levels nine and ten from across the country to understand their perceptions of the constructs of the TPACK framework. In phase two, qualitative data were gathered from nine volunteering teacher participants through semi-structured interviews and document artefacts. The participants for this phase were selected using purposive sampling techniques from three schools located in different regions of the country (capital city versus local island community). The data gathered from both phases were analysed using a tri-theory framework comprising TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), the substitution augmentation modification and redefinition (SAMR) (Puentedura, 2012), and Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (BDT) (Churches, 2008) as theoretical lenses.

Findings showed that teachers generally had a high perception of TPACK and its related
constructs on a five-point Likert scale. The multivariate analysis revealed significant variations in teachers’ perception of the TPACK constructs based on their demographic characteristics, especially their teaching subject and nationality (Maldives has a high proportion of expatriate teachers on working visas). Given that many currently available technology applications are developed to suit the international curriculum, Maldivian teachers (especially those teaching Dhivehi Language and Islamic Studies) had fewer opportunities to adopt these technologies in their subjects.

The qualitative data revealed that having a high TPACK perception did not have any
bearing on teachers’ frequency of technology use or how they integrated technology in their
lessons. In general, teachers typically adopted digital technologies for teacher-centred
pedagogical practices of knowledge transmission that supported lower-order cognitive goals. Teachers’ perception of the interconnected TPACK constructs (PCK, TCK and TPK) and
several contextual factors influenced teachers’ technology integration efforts. This included
teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and their knowledge regarding TPACK competence at the micro
contextual level. The professional and emotional support teachers receive from the school
leadership, the availability of resources and facilities, time allocation, and professional
development training influenced their technology adoption at the meso contextual level. At the exo contextual level, the support from the parental community was found to be crucial. As for the macro contextual level, support from national-level stakeholders in setting the strategic ICT directives, the ICT policies, facilities and resources, and teacher technology professional development training influenced teachers’ technology integration endeavours.

This study is timely and significant from multiple perspectives. At the theoretical level,
the study adds to the existing literature on TPACK, first, by focusing on in-service teachers at
the secondary education level from the context of a small island developing state (SIDS), the
Maldives, and second, by offering new insights on TPACK variations based on teacher
attributes unique to the local context (subject discipline and teachers’ nationality). Third, the
study proposed a tri-theory framework comprising TPACK, alongside SAMR and BDT, to
investigate how digital technologies are adopted to conduct meaningful learning activities that promote higher-order thinking skills in students. Methodologically, this mixed-methods
research study is unique. It combined a robust survey design involving various statistical and
thematic analyses based upon a tri-theory framework within one study to explore teachers’
TPACK and technology integration in teaching and learning. None of the currently published
studies have adopted this methodological approach to investigate teachers’ TPACK and
technology integration, especially within a SIDS context such as the Maldives. Implications
for practice are provided on how the tri-theory framework proposed may be adopted by
teachers to transform their pedagogical practices for meaningful student learning using digital technologies. Recommendations are also included for school leaders and policymakers on targeting resources and training teachers for successful technology implementation.”