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Coding Pre-Service Teacher Lesson Plans for TPACK

Conference Paper · March 2010

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1761.6484

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Michigan Virtual University Georgia Southern University
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Introduction
Technology is rapidly becoming a predominant force for education, and teachers now
more than ever have nearly endless technological tools at their disposal. The specific role of
technology in education is not always well understood or utilized to its full potential (Cuban,
Kirkpatrick, & Peck, 2001). Oftentimes, discussions of technology integration in teacher
education programs start with the tools first, then training the teachers on technology use in
isolation (So & Kim, 2009). This flow of innovation causes technology knowledge to be a
stand-alone piece of information, rather than an amalgam of technology knowledge with
pedagogy and content knowledge. The Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPACK)
framework builds on Shulman’s (1986) Pedagogy Content Knowledge framework, and attempts
to elaborate on the 3 essential types of knowledge required by teachers for successful technology
integration (Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Koehler & Mishra, 2008; 2009). The TPACK framework
also attempts to illustrate the dynamic and interconnected nature of the three primary
components; technology knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, and content knowledge. To date
TPACK has been assessed under the following parameters, through a self-report survey to assess
an individual's Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Archambault & Crippen, 2009;
Schmidt et al., 2009), as well as the use of discourse analysis to trace students TPACK
throughout a semester-long seminar course (Koehler, Mishra & Yahya, 2005). In this paper, we
propose a complementary method of analysis to identify practical and applied elements of
TPACK in pre-service teacher lesson plans. We propose this lesson-plan coding scheme not as a
replacement for the TPACK survey but rather as a supplement, as a resource for teachers and
teacher educators.
Evaluating Lesson Plans for TPACK
Self-report surveys provide important information to both individuals and teacher educators
about an individual's TPACK awareness; however, self-report surveys are limited to measuring
individuals’ beliefs. To be effective, educators need to be able to transfer their TPACK to
classroom settings; put simply, teachers must be able to apply their TPACK to their lessons. We
propose the development of a TPACK coding scheme to identify evidence of TPACK in pre-
service teacher lesson plans. It may not always be possible to administer and score the TPACK
survey to pre-service teachers throughout their education and training. The TPACK lesson plan
coding scheme will be a way for teacher educators to assess TPACK understanding within
assignments that are already a large part of teacher education curriculum. In addition, creation of
a lesson plan analysis framework may help guide pre-service teachers' development of lesson
plans in accordance with TPACK.

Context and Motivation

Our motivations for developing a TPACK lesson-plan coding scheme are two-fold. First,
we aim to provide a resource for teacher educators to efficiently and accurately assess pre-
service teachers' TPACK awareness. Second, we aim to inform the development of a TPACK
lesson plan rubric which will enable pre-service teachers to not only think critically about their
own lesson plans and TPACK but to help them anticipate problems, generate solutions, and
create meaningful learning experiences in their classrooms. Additionally, through the analysis of
the TPACK survey and the development and utilization of the lesson-plan coding scheme, we
hope to provide recommendations to improve TPACK instruction in an undergraduate course in
education and technology.

Data Source and Plan of Research

The sample for this research study is drawn from an undergraduate teacher education
course at a major mid-western university titled “Teaching and Learning with Technology”. As
part of regular course work students in this course complete a final lesson plan designed to assess
their ability to integrate technology into their curriculum and teaching. The course is currently
being held and will conclude in December at which time final lesson plans will be obtained and
final coding will commence. Preliminary coding has been done by examining published lessons
from the past summer semester, and will be refined through final data collection in December,
concluding with complete analysis in late January. Additionally, participants will complete the
TPACK survey instrument developed by Schmidt et al. (2009). Data from the survey will be
compared to results from the coding to verify accuracy in coding, as well as assess pre-service
teachers ability to transfer conceptual TPACK to practice.
The TPACK lesson-plan coding scheme incorporates not only the individual elements of
TPACK (technology, pedagogy, content) but also the complex interplay between components.
Based on this theoretical framework developed by Mishra and Koehler (2006), born out of
theory-driven thematic coding (Boyatzis, 1998) and TPACK construct analysis (Cox, 2008) and
based on preliminary coding, the following themes have emerged:

• Technology is coded within lesson plans for not only the use of technology (T) but also
the justified choice of teacher-centered and/or student-centered technology (TP), and
appropriate technologies for the content (TC).
• Pedagogical approaches are coded (P), including (but not limited to) assessment,
classroom organization and management, as well as the justified choice of approach for
specific content (PC).
• Most importantly though, the entire lesson plan is coded for TPACK–the synergy
between technology, pedagogy, and content (TPACK).

Future Directions and Conclusion

The TPACK lesson-plan coding scheme provides a way of measuring teachers’ practical
knowledge and behavior with respect to TPACK. While not a perfect measure, the lesson plan
coding scheme gets closer than self-report survey data to assessing teachers' ability to apply their
technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. Future work will refine the coding scheme
and self-assessment rubric, and also seek to provide further concrete resources for pre-service
teachers and teacher education programs on not only how to assess TPACK both in theory and
practice, but how to develop TPACK understanding.
Relevant URL’s and Resources

• TPaCK Wiki: http://www.tpck.org/tpck/index.php?title=Main_Page

• TPACK Key Articles: http://tpck.org/tpck/index.php?title=Key_Articles
• Welcome to the Learning Activity Types Wiki: http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net/

Literature References

Archambault, L., & Crippen, K. (2009). Examining TPACK among K-12 online distance
educators in the United States Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher
Education, 9(1). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss1/general/article2.cfm

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code

Development. Sage Publications.

Cox, S. (2008). A conceptual analysis of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Doctoral

Dissertation, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.
 Cuban, L., Kirkpatrick, H., Peck, C. (2001). High access and low use of technologies in high
school classrooms: Explaining an apparent paradox. American Educational Research
Journal, 38(4), 813-834.

Koehler, M.J., Mishra, P., & Yahya, K. (2007). Tracing the development of teacher knowledge
in a design seminar: Integrating content, pedagogy, & technology. Computers &
Education, 49(3), 740-762.

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2008). Introducing Technological Pedagogical Knowledge. In

AACTE (Eds.). The Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for
Educators. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group for the American Association of Colleges
of Teacher Education

Koehler, M.J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What Is technological pedagogical content knowledge?
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE), 9(1).

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A new
framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record. 108(6), 1017-1054.

Schmidt, D. A., Baran, E., Thompson A. D., Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P. & Shin, T. (2009).
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK): The Development and
Validation of an Assessment Instrument for Preservice Teachers. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education.

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational

Researcher, 15, 4-14.

So, H.-J. & Kim, B. (2009). Learning about problem based learning: Student teachers integrating
technology, pedagogy and content knowledge. Australasian Journal of Educational
Technology, 25(1), 101-116

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