Examining the effects of integrating technological pedagogical content knowledge into preschool teachers’ professional development regarding science teaching: using digital game-based learning as an example

Abstract

A common question emerges while applying the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework for teachers’ preparation to integrate ICT into classroom teaching and learning: which type of knowledge (e.g., TK, CK, or PK) should be instructed first during the course? This study examined the effects of the technology- and pedagogy-oriented course design on improving the in-service preschool teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge-Games (TPACK-G) as well as their acceptance of digital game-based learning. The participants were 49 in-service preschool teachers. They were assigned into a technology- and a pedagogy-oriented group. The results show that when integrating the TPACK-G framework into the preschool context, instructing game knowledge before pedagogy knowledge tended to raise the in-service teachers’ competencies of game knowledge and game-pedagogical-content knowledge.