An Investigation of Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

In order to reflect the integration of the teachers’ content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technology usage skills to the class context and to provide the expected outputs for the program's purposes, it is needed to be revealed the different dimensions of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). In this study, it was aimed to investigate the teacher training programmes related to pre-service science teachers’ TPACK. This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. In the 2015-2016 academic year, a total of 269 pre-service teachers (73 of them from 1st grade, 73 of them from 2nd grade, 87 of them from 3rd and 36 of them from 4th grade students) attending Science Education Department participated in this study. As a data collection tool, 7 subscales of “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale of Pre-Service Teachers”; namely, technology knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and technological pedagogical content knowledge were used. According to the results, as the class level of preservice teacher increases, their level of technological pedagogical content knowledge increases as well. Moreover, there is a significant difference on behalf of pre-service teachers at the 1st grade in all dimensions of technological pedagogical content knowledge scale.


Introduction
Today, societies to train individuals who can survive, decide alone and solve problems, they need to use and improve technology. Hence, the importance of training individuals who use technology is also increasing. One of the requirements of learners using and improving technology is the teachers who are using technology well and effectively and combining it with in class activities. Ministry of National Education (hereafter MONE) (2005), has also described competence of using technology effectively in courses as one of the teacher competencies. Not only in Turkey, but also all over the world, there are studies claiming that in order to teachers integrating technology with teaching effectively, creating opportunities and suggesting projects for them are also essential (Bhattacherjee & Premkumar, 2004;Govender & Govender, 2009). In recent years, these kinds of applications have become a study area of teacher trainers as an approach that defines teachers' effective technology integration knowledge. Technology integration is seen as an important component of effective teaching nowadays (Pierson, 1999).
In Turkey, as a result of research studies done in science education in 2004, the name of Science course was changed as 'Science and Technology'. Teaching methods, attainments, and class infrastructure were enriched with technology (MONE, 2005). That subsequently, Instructional Technologies and Material Design and Computer courses were added to science teacher training programmes in faculties of education by Higher Education Council (hereafter HEC). Material development courses aim to inform pre-service teachers about instructional technology, material design and instructional design (HEC, 2007). Thus, a theory has been used for teachers how to integrate technology and education. This theory is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), addition of technology knowledge to Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) which was imparted to literature by Shulman (1986). TPACK has become a research focus of teacher trainers and researchers from many countries in recent years as an approach which defines teachers' effective technology integration knowledge (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education [AACTE], 2008). Educators have started to develop TPACK concept by adding technological knowledge to pedagogical content knowledge (Mishra & Koehler 2006;Angeli & Valanides, 2009). TPACK theoretical framework is consisted of eight knowledge structures (Figure 1). (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, p. 63).

Figure 1. TPACK and Knowledge Types that TPACK Interact with
 Pedagogical knowledge (PK), is the knowledge about teaching and learning process and its application such as students' learning process, classroom management, developing lesson plan, applying and evaluating.  Technological knowledge (TK), is the knowledge of using information technology, hardware, software and tools.  Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), is the pedagogical knowledge applied to teach specific content as similar to Shulman's study.  Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), is the knowledge of using pedagogical design and strategies appropriate to technological devices used in other words when a specific technology is used knowing of how teaching and learning will change.  Technological content knowledge (TCK), is the knowledge of how technology is used in developing course content, visualising the content or conducting related studies and knowledge of what the specific technologies are related to the field (Koehler & Mishra, 2008, p. 12). Koehler & Mishra (2005), are claiming that those models are moving towards from technology focused models to pedagogical focused models. While technology focused models are aiming to teachers acquire knowledge and skills of technology using; pedagogical focused models on the other hand aim to teachers integrate technology use with pedagogical knowledge in teaching process. One of the prominent models of pedagogical focused models in technology integration into education is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge model (Koehler & Mishra, 2005). TPACK model should be demonstrated with various dimensions in order to combine and apply teachers' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge effectively and reflect it on classroom effectively and in order to get expected outcomes consistent to the programme's aims. Detail analysis of application of this model which was shaped as a theory should be conducted. Technology integration of teachers should be carried with various dimensions by determining teachers' TPACK skills with appropriate models and developed measurement tools.
Teacher training institutions should also make the necessary efforts to train teachers suited to requirements of this age. Teachers should have the ability to use technology in order to develop materials besides in the course planning and preparing for the course. Therefore, they should be able to integrate technology knowledge into teaching processes. So, the teacher training institutions should have a great role (Ay, 2015).

Research Design
This study has descriptive survey approach. The simple descriptive survey approach is one-shot survey for the purpose of describing the characteristics of a sample at one point in time apart from the other approaches of survey research namely cross-sectional and longitudinal (Mertens, 1998, p.108). This research is a cross-sectional study conducted for the purpose of describing how a four semester sequence teacher education program helps change pre-service teachers' TPACK. For this purpose, the data was collected from each class level separately at the same period.

Data Collection Tools
As a data collection tool, "Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale of Pre-Service Teachers" was used (Sahin, 2011). The scale was consisted of 7 subscales. Those are, respectively, 15 items for technology knowledge (TK), 6 items for pedagogical knowledge (PK), 6 items for content knowledge (CK), 4 items for technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), 4 items for technological content knowledge (TCK), 7 items for pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), 5 items for technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) . The scale rating was in the 5 points Likert as "Not At All Know", "Slightly Know", "Somewhat Know", "Moderately Know", and "Extremely Know".

Analyzing of Data
The responses given by the students were categorized as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and total scores were calculated. By calculating arithmetic mean for each item in the scale, arithmetic means were determined as degree of participation. Based on the assumption of that ranges are equal, arithmetic mean score range coefficient was found as 0.80. The evaluation range of the arithmetic mean are as follows: (1) 1.00-1.80 "Not At All Know", (2) 1.81-2.60 "Slightly Know", (3) 2.61-3.40 "Somewhat Know", (4) 3.41-4.20 "Moderately Know", (5) 4.21-5.00 "Extremely Know". The lowest score to get from the applied scale is 46, and the highest is 230. In order to determine whether data are in normal distribution, Kolmogorov Smirnov analysis (Z = 0.809; p > 0.05) was applied. According to Kolmogorov Smirnov analysis, the scores got from the scale by 1st grade students (Z = 0.595, p > 0.05), 2nd grade students (Z = 0.726, p > 0.05), 3rd grade students (Z = 0.564, p > 0.05), and 4th grade students (Z = 0.554, p > 0.05) are in normal distribution. Cronbach's Alpha value was found as 0.962 for the scale. For the 1st grade students α=0.951, for the 2nd grade students α=0.953, for the 3rd grade students α=0.943 and for the 4th grade students α=0.968 were found. Descriptive statistics analysis of the scale used and oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied.

Findings
Findings related to whether pre-service science teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge has shown a significant difference according to their grades are shown in Table 1. As seen in Table 1, as a result of one way ANOVA which was applied in order to determine whether there is a significant difference between pre-service science teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge according to their grades, it has been determined that technological pedagogical content knowledge has shown a difference at 0.05 significance level according to grades (F = 28.378; p < 0.05).
Results of multiple comparison analysis (Tukey) applied in order to determine the direction of this difference to which grade or grades are shown in Table 2. .000* -------.002* 3 rd grade .000* ------------4 th grade .000* .002* --------As seen in Table 2, there is a significant difference in favour of 1 st grade pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge when compared with other grades (p < 0.05). In addition, it is determined that there is a significant difference between 2 nd and 4 th grade pre-service science teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (p < 0.05). In order to determine to those differences are in favour of these which grades, total mean scores taken from technological pedagogical content knowledge scale were examined according to grades and related descriptive statistics were shown in Table 3. As seen in Table 3, it was determined that while 1 st grade pre-service science teachers have the lowest technological pedagogical content knowledge with the mean score of 2.7718, 4th grade pre-service science teachers have the highest technological pedagogical content knowledge with the mean score of 3.6548. Besides, except 1st grade students, other three grades students' mean are higher than the mean score (3.2241) of all participating pre-service science teachers to the study.
Findings related to whether the scores taken by pre-service science teachers from subscales of technological pedagogical content knowledge scale have shown a significant difference according to their grades are shown in Table  4. When Table 4 is examined, there is a significant difference between 1 st grade students and 2 nd , 3 rd , and 4 th grades students in all subscales of technological pedagogical content knowledge scale (p < 0.05). Moreover, there are significant differences in pedagogical knowledge (PK), technological content knowledge (TCK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) subscales between 2 nd grade and 4 th grade pre-service science teachers (p < 0.05). In order to determine to those differences are in favour of these which grades, descriptive statistics related to mean scores of subscales according to grades are shown in Table 5. According to Table 5, it is determined that when students get higher grade levels, the mean scores taken from subscales of technological pedagogical content knowledge scale also increase. It is also seen that especially pedagogical knowledge which is at " Not At All Know" level in the first grade , in 2 nd and 3 rd grade at "Somewhat Know" level, and in 4 th grade it increases to "Moderately Know" level and technological knowledge as at "Somewhat Know" level increases to "Moderately Know" level. It is also noteworthy that 4 th grade pre-service science teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge with its all subscales reaches to "Moderately Know" level.

Discussion and Conclusion
As a result of the findings, when analysed according to grades, technological pedagogical content knowledge of preservice science teachers increases from 1st grade to 4th grade. When related literature are reviewed, Terpstra (2009) acknowledges about technology integration process that firstly technological knowledge of teachers improves, they start to improve ways of using technology in line with programmes, in other words, the emergence of technological pedagogical knowledge has seen. Savas, OztUrk and TUzUn (2010) stress that in order to pre-service teachers achieve technology integration effectively, primarily technological knowledge needs to be increased and then content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge competencies should be ensured.
Having mean score in favour of 4th grade students shows us that pre-service teachers who are taking Instructional Technologies and Material Design course in 3rd grade have an active role in developing software to use in field education, by means of various technologies creating 2D or 3D materials, developing teaching tools, and examining of educational software. In addition, the first course that they come across with science education and teaching, computer supported laboratory studies which is one of the aims of Laboratory Applications in Science Education II course, the topics such as the place and how to use of computers in laboratory are thought to be effective. In Special Teaching Methods II course, pre-service teachers have opportunities of practice via micro teaching by choosing topics from 5th and 8th grades secondary school Science Education Programme and preparing lesson plans and organising with suitable tools and materials.
Also, having completed School Experience course may also increase their TPACK skills. Because, having done product or document analysis by determining evaluation criteria in their training schools' classrooms might be effective. At the same time, having done classroom management, data collection, data presentation and data sharing with specialist teachers in this course might be effective, too.
When TPACK sub scales that pre-service teachers have are examined according to their grades, there is a difference between 1st graders and other graders in all subscales; in addition, there are differences between 2nd graders and 4th graders in PK, TCK, PCK and TPACK subscales. Also, pre-service teachers who are studying in 2nd grade completed courses offered only in 1st grade, when they are studying in 4th grade they have already completed courses related to PK, TCK, PCK, TPACK placed in the programme and so it can be said that they can integrate technology into courses.
When findings of this study are examined, it can be said that the obtained results may based on 3 main reasons. One of them is TPACK topic is a brand new for pre-service teachers, and renewing science teacher training programme in 2006 and implementation of it by faculties of education after that.
Secondly, while pre-service science teachers haven't any real environments that they can apply what they have learned until 4th grade, in the last grade they have completed courses such as Special Teaching Methods I-II, School Experience, Instructional Technologies and Material Design, Laboratory Applications in Science Education I-II and they can create learning environments that they can reflect what they have learned. Despite having limited course hours of practical lessons in Science Teacher Training programme, it is seen that pre-service teachers have shown an improvement in using TPACK skills.
Lastly, in line with the results, we can conclude that academics who give teacher training are able to reflect TPACK into their in class applications.

Suggestions
• In line with those results, studies focusing on TPACK of academics in faculties of education may be carried.
• Also, the views of pre-service science teachers on TPACK may be examined with qualitative research studies in detail.
• When it is considered that TPACK is not important only for pre-service science teachers but also for pre-service teachers in other areas, it might be useful to carry this study with other pre-service teachers.
• There is an increase in TPACK studies in teacher training research and applications in Turkey. By making use of the results of this research, teacher trainers and researchers in education field may develop programmes for teachers to improve their technology integration knowledge or they can enhance current programmes.
• In line with the results of this study, it is suggested to use of micro teaching technique in Special Teaching Methods II course, one of the content courses, as foreseen by HEC in order to train and graduate pre-service teachers with professional competencies who take content and teaching profession courses until the last grade of their undergraduate studies.