Patabedige, S. W. (2012). Information communication technology in secondary science education in Sri Lanka [Doctoral thesis, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia]. Deakin Research Online. http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30048468

Abstract:

“Sixty-eight pre-service teachers and eight NCOE (National College of Education) lecturers were selected from a cohort of science educators and pre-service teachers were introduced to the Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model with the objective of investigating the impact of the model as a tool to help pre-service teachers in the effective use of ICT in their teaching. As a part of this research an instrument was developed to measure changes in the technological skills, and the pedagogical and technological knowledge of the pre-service teachers over the period of the research. A small group of 15 pre-service teachers were followed closely as they applied the TPACK model in their teaching. Changes to the technological skills and pedagogical and technological knowledge of the 15 pre-service teachers were monitored.

This study aimed to enhance effective use of ICT in teaching science by pre-service teachers with the intention to promote deeper learning and supporting and enhancing secondary science teaching in Sri Lanka. Videos of the pre-service teachers, teaching with technologies, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations were employed to collect data about the participants’ understandings of the TPACK model and the ramifications of its use on their practice. The minority of the participants were able to implement the three core TPACK elements in their science teaching, though with considerable variability. The research highlighted methodological difficulties in employing ill-defined constructs such as TPACK, and recommends the use of normalization metrics (TPACK score) and a subjective “TPACK index” to facilitate top-level comparisons (TK+PK+ CK) of different instances of TPACK events, whilst recognizing the limitations of such metrics. Despite these limitations, the quantification of the TPACK model helped to identify the particular qualities of the teaching that was being measured. Secondary science pre-service teachers’ technological skills varied, and were impacted by their access to and experience with technological resources. The technological skills of the volunteer focus group were good compared to that of the whole cohort, which was as expected because the volunteers are interested and familiar with the technologies. In this research study, pre- service teachers have shown limited knowledge and experience of pedagogy. Pre-service science teachers’ knowledge of technology is initially as based on their own personal experience. Most of the pre-service teachers used ICT in science lessons when they were in school. Pre-service teachers conducted science lessons using ICT with the TPACK model but their understanding in how to integrate the three knowledge domains was limited. This study has contributed to the understanding and implementation of the TPACK model through the development of a TPACK Scale, TPACK integration index, and the TPACK Rubric. These metrics provide descriptors of the thin and thick TPACK models that characterise variations within the model.”