The document summarizes a study on developing Tanzanian teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) through a professional development program. [1] The program included training, lesson design collaboration, teaching lessons, and reflection. [2] Survey and observation data found that after the program, teachers had more positive views of technology's impact on teaching and perceived student learning improvements. [3] Classroom observations also found teachers adopting more learner-centered practices with technology integration compared to their previous teacher-centered approaches.

1. Transforming Classroom Practices through
Teachers’ Learning of TPACK
The case of In-service Teachers in Tanzania
Ayoub Kafyulilo, Petra Fisser and Joke Voogt
University of Twente
Paper Presented at the SITE conference in Austin, Texas. 5th to 9th March 2012

2. Introduction
 Education reforms around the world emphasizes the use of
learner-centered teaching approaches
 Our social and institutional contexts limit the effective use of
learner-centered approaches
 Schools (e.g. in Tanzania) have;
 fixed study schedules,
 a time bound syllabus, and
 examination oriented learning.
 Thus, teachers worry more about the time to finish the syllabus,
than the competencies that students need to develop
 Technology can help teachers to use time effectively and enable
students to understand the lesson

3. How can technology enhance students learning
 There are evidence from literature (Keong et al, 2005;
Voogt et al, 2009; Knezek & Christensen, 2008) that;
 Constructivist pedagogical approaches are easily
supported through the use of technology.
 With technology;
 Students’ learning is improved through increased
collaboration
 Students maintain a high level of communication and
sharing of knowledge.
 Students visualize difficult and/or dangerous concepts and
processes that cannot be visualized by eyes (e.g. cell
division)

4. Technology Integration in Education in Tanzania
 Despite the potentials of technology on students’ learning, the majority of
teachers in Tanzania are not embracing it in teaching
 Factors contributing to low level of technology uptake in teaching:
 lack of technological tools,
 limited supply of electricity in most schools,
 limited teachers’ technological knowledge and
 Limited teachers’ technology integration competencies.
 Most of the teachers in Tanzania have the basic ICT knowledge but they
don’t know how ICT can support teaching and learning
 An understanding of TPACK is considered important in the development
of teachers’ ability to integrate technology in teaching

5. TPACK Development among In-service Teachers
 A professional development program to develop teachers’ TPACK
was organized as follows;
 Two days training and hands on activities on TPACK
 Four weeks collaboration in teacher design teams to design
technology integrated lessons (scheme of work, lesson plan and
lesson notes)
 A practical teaching of a technology integrated lesson in a
classroom
 One day workshop to reflect on the training, collaboration in design
teams, lesson design, classroom teaching and students feedback.
 Redesign of the lesson in teacher design team and
 Re-teach the lesson in the classroom

6. Some of the activities during the workshop
Lesson design in teacher design teams Rehearsing teaching with technology

7. Methodology
 12 teachers participated in the project
 Data were collected for pre-intervention and post-intervention results
 The following data collection instrument were used for both pre and post
intervention results
i. Teachers’ questionnaire
ii. Teachers’ observation checklist
iii. Teachers’ interview guide
iv. Students’ observation checklist
 Data were also collected by using student questionnaire for post
intervention

8. Data Analysis
 Descriptive statistics involving the calculation of mean and standard
deviations were conducted for the students’ experience with the use of
technology in learning
 Wilcoxon signed ranks test for two related samples was used to analyze
the level of significance in the difference between pre and post
intervention results for teachers’ perceived ability of using technology in
Teaching
 Effect sizes were calculated for each item to determine the magnitude of
the change between pre and post intervention results.

9. Teachers’ perceived effect of technology in teaching (N=12)
P Effect
Pre
Post size
No of Interventio
Intervention
items n
M(SD)
M (SD)
Use of technology improves teaching
productivity (enhance students’
interactions, assessment and classroom 2.85 4.23
managment) 5 .002 1.97
(0.73) (0.67)
Use of technology supports learning
activities that facilitate students’ 3.48 4.21
4 .012 1.15
higher order thinking (0.73) (0.52)
Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Undecided, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree

10. Observed classroom practices with technology (1)
 Prior to the participation in the professional development program to
develop TPACK, teachers were using teacher centered teaching
approaches.
 Interaction with students in the classroom was limited
 In all subjects teachers were lecturing; students were listening and
copying notes
 Some teachers were talking while writing notice on the chalkboard.
 After the training; the teaching approach changed,
 The technology required a teacher to interact with the students by asking
questions regarding what is presented through technology.

11. Observed classroom practices with technology (2)
 The use of an animation or video to depict scientific processes, enhanced
interaction between teacher and students, amongst students, students
and technology as well as students and subject matter.
Students
Subject
Technology
matter
Teacher

12. Observed classroom practices with technology
 An example of interactive lesson was demonstrated by the biology team
through the video they made about
first aid provision to a fainting person
 During this lesson, a teacher was seating behind the classroom with
students and acted like a fellow learner but a leader to the discussion.
 He made groups of five and assigned tasks to each group,
 Each group made a presentation of their task to the colleagues in the
classroom
 There was a great debate between students from different groups which
was reflecting on the video

13. Students’ Experience with Technology in
Science Learning (N = 40)
No of
Mean SD
items
Student’s knowledge of computer (have seen it
4 3.59 1,04
before, used it)
Students’ attitude towards learning science with
11 4.45 0.52
technology
Use of technology enhances learning of difficult
5 4.24 0.64
concepts
Technology helps students to be more involved
in the learning process than the traditional 6 4.35 0.57
classes
Scale: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = undecided, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree

14. Teachers’ opinions regarding students learning in a
technology integrated class
Question Responses (number of respondents in brackets)
To what -To a great extent (all teachers) reasons:
extent do -Students attention to the lesson was increased (4)
you think -Students were very active and interactive during the
students’
technology integrated lesson (4)
learning in
science
-They did well in the assignment they were given (5)
improved -They told us that they enjoyed and understood the
through the lesson (3)
integration -Students asked for other lesson that use technology (3)
of -They were able to observe process which are difficult to
technology observe in the regular classes (1)
in teaching? -Students were excited by our lesson; they told us (3)

15. The Impact of TPACK on Teachers’ Classroom Practices
 Teachers’ understanding of TPACK had an impact on:
 Teachers’ choice of the pedagogical approaches in relation to the
content and the technology in use
 Teachers’ design of the students activities in relation to the technology
in use and the content to be covered
 By considering TPACK, Kibasila secondary school teachers were able to
focus their lessons design around technology, pedagogy and content in
an integrated manner
 TPACK was used as a guide and a reflection model for ensuring a clear
interplay between content, pedagogy and technology

16. The Impact of TPACK on Teachers’ Classroom Practices (2)
 An understanding of TPACK had an impact not only on how teachers
teach but also to the students;
 Hayes (2007) uphold that, use of technology in teaching doesn’t only
change the way a teacher teaches, but also the way students learn
 For example students at Kibasila secondary school reported to enjoy and
understand the technology integrated lessons better than traditional
lessons;
 Students also reported to understand some scientific concepts and
processes (e.g. mitosis) more easily, and developed interests and
motivation to the lesson than it used to be in other lessons

17. The impact of teachers’ TPACK on classroom practices
 Learning with technology offered an opportunity for students to learn
through collaboration to solve a task given by their teachers.
 The collaboration approach had two advantages to students;
i. the opportunity to share ideas and concepts, thus, being able to
respond to questions more appropriately; and
ii. the social gain, where new friendships were established
 From our findings we consider that the changes that teachers made in
their teaching, were a result of their learning and understanding of
TPACK.

18. Thanks for your attention