TPACK: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework

Punya Mishra and Matthew J. Koehler’s 2006 TPACK framework, which

focuses on technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and
content knowledge (CK), offers a productive approach to many of the
dilemmas that teachers face in implementing educational technology
(edtech) in their classrooms. By differentiating among these three types of
knowledge, the TPACK framework outlines how content (what is being
taught) and pedagogy (how the teacher imparts that content) must form the
foundation for any effective edtech integration. This order is important
because the technology being implemented must communicate the content
and support the pedagogy in order to enhance students’ learning experience.
According to the TPACK framework, specific technological tools
(hardware, software, applications, associated information literacy practices,
etc.) are best used to instruct and guide students toward a better, more
robust understanding of the subject matter. The three types of knowledge –
TK, PK, and CK – are thus combined and recombined in various ways within
the TPACK framework. Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) describes
relationships and interactions between technological tools and specific
pedagogical practices, while pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) describes
the same between pedagogical practices and specific learning objectives;
finally, technological content knowledge (TCK) describes relationships and
intersections among technologies and learning objectives. These
triangulated areas then constitute TPACK, which considers the relationships
among all three areas and acknowledges that educators are acting within
this complex space.
This adaptability can be seen in the various intersections and relationships
already embodied in the TPACK acronym.
Content Knowledge (CK) – This describes teachers’ own knowledge of the
subject matter. CK may include knowledge of concepts, theories, evidence,
and organizational frameworks within a particular subject matter; it may also
include the field’s best practices and established approaches to
communicating this information to students. CK will also differ according to
discipline and grade level – for example, middle-school science and history
classes require less detail and scope than undergraduate or graduate
courses, so their various instructors’ CK may differ, or the CK that each class
imparts to its students will differ.
Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) – This describes teachers’ knowledge of the
practices, processes, and methods regarding teaching and learning. As a
generic form of knowledge, PK encompasses the purposes, values, and aims
of education, and may apply to more specific areas including the
understanding of student learning styles, classroom management skills,
lesson planning, and assessments.
Technological Knowledge (TK) – This describes teachers’ knowledge of,
and ability to use, various technologies, technological tools, and associated
resources. TK concerns understanding edtech, considering its possibilities for
a specific subject area or classroom, learning to recognize when it will assist
or impede learning, and continually learning and adapting to new technology
offerings.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) – This describes teachers’
knowledge regarding foundational areas of teaching and learning, including
curricula development, student assessment, and reporting results. PCK
focuses on promoting learning and on tracing the links among pedagogy and
its supportive practices (curriculum, assessment, etc.), and much like CK, will
also differ according to grade level and subject matter. In all cases, though,
PCK seeks to improve teaching practices by creating stronger connections
between the content and the pedagogy used to communicate it.
Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) – This describes teachers’
understanding of how technology and content can both influence and push
against each other. TCK involves understanding how the subject matter can
be communicated via different edtech offerings, and considering which
specific edtech tools might be best suited for specific subject matters or
classrooms.
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) – This describes teachers’
understanding of how particular technologies can change both the teaching
and learning experiences by introducing new pedagogical affordances and
constraints. Another aspect of TPK concerns understanding how such tools
can be deployed alongside pedagogy in ways that are appropriate to the
discipline and the development of the lesson at hand.
TPACK is the end result of these various combinations and interests, drawing
from them – and from the three larger underlying areas of content,
pedagogy, and technology – in order to create an effective basis for teaching
using educational technology. In order for teachers to make effective use of
the TPACK framework, they should be open to certain key ideas, including:
1. concepts from the content being taught can be represented using
technology,
2. pedagogical techniques can communicate content in different ways
using technology,
3. different content concepts require different skill levels from students,
and edtech can help address some of these requirements,
4. students come into the classroom with different backgrounds –
including prior educational experience and exposure to technology –
and lessons utilizing edtech should account for this possibility,
5. educational technology can be used in tandem with students’ existing
knowledge, helping them either strengthen prior epistemologies or
develop new ones.