Teacher Design Team as a Professional Development Arrangement for Developing TPACK among Science Teachers in Tanzania

Ayoub Kafyuliloa.kafyulilo@utwente.nl

Ayoub Kafyuliloa.kafyulilo@utwente.nl

Petra Fisserp.h.g.fisser@utwente.nl

Petra Fisserp.h.g.fisser@utwente.nl

Joke Voogtj.m.voogt@utwente.nl

Joke Voogtj.m.voogt@utwente.nl

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not, teacher design team is a promising professional development arrangement for developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) among science teachers in Tanzania. 12 science teachers participated in a workshop about TPACK and joined in design teams for biology, chemistry and physics lessons. A pre and post intervention assessment of teachers’ TPACK was done by using a TPACK survey, teachers’ interview, an observation checklist and focus group discussion. Results showed a significant change in teachers perceived and observed TPACK between pre and post intervention.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not, teacher design team is a promising professional development arrangement for developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) among science teachers in Tanzania. 12 science teachers participated in a workshop about TPACK and joined in design teams for biology, chemistry and physics lessons. A pre and post intervention assessment of teachers’ TPACK was done by using a TPACK survey, teachers’ interview, an observation checklist and focus group discussion. Results showed a significant change in teachers perceived and observed TPACK between pre and post intervention.

IntroductionTeacher design team refer to a group of at least two teachers, from the same or related subjects, working together on a regular basis, with the goal to (re)design and enact (a part of) their common curriculum” (Handelzalts, 2009).In Tanzania teachers are not yet working in design teams, instead there is a broad-based collaboration designed to facilitate what are in the nature of tea-time meetings where teachers would discuss the emerging issues at schools (Kafyulilo, 2012)The individualism approach has been hindering teachers from the opportunity to learn from each other and enhancemnet of students’ learning outcomes in sciencesubjects. Thus, this study adopt teachers design team as a professional development arrangement to develop teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for effective teaching with technology.

IntroductionTeacher design team refer to a group of at least two teachers, from the same or related subjects, working together on a regular basis, with the goal to (re)design and enact (a part of) their common curriculum” (Handelzalts, 2009).In Tanzania teachers are not yet working in design teams, instead there is a broad-based collaboration designed to facilitate what are in the nature of tea-time meetings where teachers would discuss the emerging issues at schools (Kafyulilo, 2012)The individualism approach has been hindering teachers from the opportunity to learn from each other and enhancemnet of students’ learning outcomes in sciencesubjects. Thus, this study adopt teachers design team as a professional development arrangement to develop teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for effective teaching with technology.

Research questionsThe main research question in this study was; what is the impact of teachers’ collaboration in design team on their development of knowledge and skills of integrating technology in science teaching? This main research question is answered by dividing it into four sub questions: 1. What is the in-service teachers’ perceived TPACK before and after the professional development arrangement?2. What are the observed in-service teachers’ practices with technology-enhanced science teaching before and after the professional development arrangement?3. What TPACK competencies do science teachers develop during collaborative lesson design in teacher design teams?4. What are the teachers’ perceptions towards collaboration in teacher design teams as a professional development arrangement?

Research questionsThe main research question in this study was; what is the impact of teachers’ collaboration in design team on their development of knowledge and skills of integrating technology in science teaching? This main research question is answered by dividing it into four sub questions: 1. What is the in-service teachers’ perceived TPACK before and after the professional development arrangement?2. What are the observed in-service teachers’ practices with technology-enhanced science teaching before and after the professional development arrangement?3. What TPACK competencies do science teachers develop during collaborative lesson design in teacher design teams?4. What are the teachers’ perceptions towards collaboration in teacher design teams as a professional development arrangement?

TKTKPKPK

CKCK

TPCKTPCK

TCKTCKPCKPCK

TPKTPK

MethodologyIn this study we adopted the pre and post intervention assessment of teachers’ perceived and observed knowledge and skills of integrating technology in science teaching. A total of 12 teachers participated in the workshop about TPACK and joined in design teams for biology, chemistry and physics lessons. There were four teachers in each team.Data were collected by using a teachers’ questionnaire, teachers’ interview, teachers’ observation checklist and teachers’ focus group discussion.Data analysis was done by computing means and standard deviations, and the differencebetween pre and post intervention assessment was determined through a Wilcoxon signed ranks test for two related samples

MethodologyIn this study we adopted the pre and post intervention assessment of teachers’ perceived and observed knowledge and skills of integrating technology in science teaching. A total of 12 teachers participated in the workshop about TPACK and joined in design teams for biology, chemistry and physics lessons. There were four teachers in each team.Data were collected by using a teachers’ questionnaire, teachers’ interview, teachers’ observation checklist and teachers’ focus group discussion.Data analysis was done by computing means and standard deviations, and the differencebetween pre and post intervention assessment was determined through a Wilcoxon signed ranks test for two related samples

TPACK componentsPre intervention

M (SD)Post intervention

M (SD) Sig. Effect size

Technological Knowledge 3.13 (0.43) 4.18 (0.42) 0.002 2.47Pedagogical Knowledge 3.98 (0.69) 4.63 (0.39) 0.003 1.16Content Knowledge 4.00 (0.56) 4.40 (0.61) 0.035 0.68Pedagogical Content Knowledge 3.82 (0.66) 4.40 (0.61) 0.020 0.91Technological Pedagogical Knowledge 3.14 (0.59) 4.23 (0.58) 0.002 1.86Technological Content Knowledge 2.85 (0.67) 4.30 (0.56) 0.002 2.35Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

2.97 (0.83) 4.27 (0.55) 0.002 1.85

Results: Qn 1 & 2Results: Qn 1 & 2

Table 1: Perceived teachers’  TPACK before and after the InterventionTable 1: Perceived teachers’  TPACK before and after the Intervention

Table 2: Observed teachers’  TPACK before and after the InterventionTable 2: Observed teachers’  TPACK before and after the Intervention

TPACK components

Pre intervention

M (SD)

Post intervention

M (SD)Z Sig. Effect size

Technology Knowledge 1.17 (0.17) 2.60 (0.23) ‐2.201 0.028 7.07

Pedagogical Knowledge 2.19 (0.08) 2.79 (0.35) ‐2.226 0.026 2.36

Pedagogical Content Knowledge 2.43 (0.08) 2.83 (0.34) ‐2.032 0.042 1.62

Technological Content Knoweldge 1.20 (0.15) 2.83 (0.40) ‐2.214 0.027 5.40

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge 1.20 (0.15) 2.63 (0.31) ‐2.214 0.027 5.87

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge 1.40 (0.11) 2.70 (0.25) ‐2.214 0.027 6.73

Conclusions(1) Teacher design team offers an opportunity for enhancement of teachers’

perceived and practiced technology integration knowledge and skills (2) In a design team, teachers can develop not only the technology related

components of TPACK but also CK, PK and PCK (3) Teachers spend too much time in the design team meetings than it could

have been expected. For teachers to use their time more efficiently the y need to get a support. The support could be collaboration guidelines, anexpert , exemplary lessons, or ready made animation materials .

Conclusions(1) Teacher design team offers an opportunity for enhancement of teachers’

perceived and practiced technology integration knowledge and skills (2) In a design team, teachers can develop not only the technology related

components of TPACK but also CK, PK and PCK (3) Teachers spend too much time in the design team meetings than it could

have been expected. For teachers to use their time more efficiently the y need to get a support. The support could be collaboration guidelines, anexpert , exemplary lessons, or ready made animation materials .

Results: Qn 3 & 4 Teachers indicated from the interview and focus group discussion to have learned all the TPACK components except Content Knowledge. However, majority indicated to have learned more on how to use Power Point. In addition, more teachers reported to have spent a lot of thier time in the design of animation by using a PowerPoint.All teachers indicated positive attitude towards collaboration in design teams for theirown learning and students’ learning outcomes. However, majority of teachers complainsabout the time they were spending on the process of design in a lesson. Thus theythought teacher design team was time inefficient for them

Results: Qn 3 & 4 Teachers indicated from the interview and focus group discussion to have learned all the TPACK components except Content Knowledge. However, majority indicated to have learned more on how to use Power Point. In addition, more teachers reported to have spent a lot of thier time in the design of animation by using a PowerPoint.All teachers indicated positive attitude towards collaboration in design teams for theirown learning and students’ learning outcomes. However, majority of teachers complainsabout the time they were spending on the process of design in a lesson. Thus theythought teacher design team was time inefficient for them