Evaluating Two Course Sections for Enhancing Novice Elementary Preservice Teachers' Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge

This study used an explanatory, sequential mixed methods approach to examine two course sections offered to novice preservice teachers learning to integrate technology into elementary classrooms. The first section of the course followed a format that featured a traditional, technocentric curriculum (control). The second section (treatment) was designed to develop participants’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) through carefully chosen interventions that were grounded in emergent instructional approaches. The quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant differences on three summative measures: The treatment section scored higher on both lesson plan evaluations and final exams, and this group expressed more positive feelings on end-of-semester course evaluations. Follow-up qualitative analysis indicated that the treatment section’s greater emphasis on pedagogy, curricular interventions, in-depth classroom examples, and the instructor’s discourse likely influenced observed differences. The findings supported the chosen curricular modifications in the treatment section, and they also highlighted potential alterations that might better prepare novice preservice teachers to integrate technology into elementary classroom learning experiences.