Meeting the demand to teach mathematics using technologies – a Cross-Sectional analysis of In-Service and Pre-Service teachers’ Technology-Related professional knowledge

Mathematics teachers are required to effectively integrate technology into mathematics teaching. Meeting this demand draws on their technology-related professional knowledge. While standards specify competencies teachers should develop, little is known about the extent to which pre- and in-service teachers actually meet such demands. Based on a sample of N = 409 German pre- and in-service secondary mathematics teachers, this study aims (i) to investigate differences between in-service and pre-service teachers regarding their technological content knowledge (TCK) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK), and to characterize the range of teachers’ TCK and TPCK by describing which demands different shares of the sample can meet. Using item-response-theory methods, we found no significant overall differences between pre- and in-service teachers in TCK or TPCK. However, group-specific strengths emerged: in-service teachers performed relatively better on demands involving dynamic geometry software, whereas pre-service teachers showed advantages in spreadsheet-related tasks. Characterizing the range of TCK, demands successfully addressed by 75% of the sample include identifying suitable technology to solve a mathematical task. In comparison, only 25% of the sample demonstrated basic spreadsheet skills. Teachers’ TPCK ranges from knowledge that allows them to identify single benefits of technology use (50% of the sample) to a learning-goal-related evaluation of instructional tasks and strategies across multiple technologies (25%). These findings highlight the need to expand opportunities for developing TCK and TPCK in both initial teacher education and continuing professional development.