Taking a Closer Look at TPACK: Examining Teacher Perspectives of the Knowledge, Competencies, and Context Needed for Improved Remote Education in Grades 4-8

Though wrought with challenges, the COVID-19 Pandemic, which led to the closure of schools worldwide and forced educators into a rapid transition from traditional to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), held some promise for furthering the integration of digital technology in schools. But now, years following the crisis, policymakers, administrators, and teachers continue to grapple with how best to incorporate lessons learned and improve the future of teaching and learning in both traditional and remote settings. This mixed-methods study (n = 21; n = 6) followed an explanatory sequential design to collect and analyze data from a sample of 4th-8th grade educators using a 62-item survey and a 15-item, semi-structured questionnaire informed by the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework. The investigation’s primary objective was to explore participants’ views on the types of knowledge, skills, and resources needed for teaching remotely to better understand practitioner strengths and their needs for ongoing learning, development, and support. Analysis of the quantitative data gathered indicated a statistically significant difference between teachers' views of importance and confidence as they related to TPACK. Qualitative data helped to support and explain these findings. The results of this study emphasize a need for the ongoing development of teachers and the strengthening of the contexts surrounding remote education efforts. This information may be useful to policymakers, administrators, and teachers as well as researchers, curriculum developers, and professional learning specialists as they work toward bettering today’s traditional and remote schooling for tomorrow's students. Advisor: Lauren Gatti