Pre-service teachers' self-efficacy perceptions on Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Highlights

• Successful integration of technology into teaching requires ability and willingness.

• Pre-service English language teachers from a Turkish university participated in the study.

• Data was collected by using Turkish adapted version of W-PCK scale.

• Participants have a high level of W-PCK self-efficacy.

• Participants have positive attitudes towards Web-based instruction.

Abstract

21st century classrooms call for teachers to integrate technology into their instructional practices. This requires the ability and willingness to combine technological, pedagogical and content knowledge. The main purpose of this study is to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pre-service teachers' perceptions of their self-efficacy regarding Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge (W-PCK) and attitudes towards web-based instruction. Turkish adapted version of W-PCK scale (Horzum, 2011) originally developed by Lee and Tsai (2010) was used as the data collection instrument. The survey was administered to 120 EFL pre-service teachers studying at a Turkish state university. The results showed that pre-service EFL teachers attained high scores on the Web-general knowledge and Web Pedagogical Knowledge subscales while lower scores were measured in Web Communicative and Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge sub-scales. The participants' level of general self-efficacy regarding W-PCK was positively correlated with their attitudes towards Web-based instruction. No significant gender or year level differences were observed.

Introduction

Teaching and learning processes have been highly influenced by technological, instructional and pedagogical advances especially in the last two decades (Chou and Tsai, 2002, Kim and Hannafin, 2011, Tsai, 2001). Current developments in computer and information technologies, wide circulation of PCs, productivity applications, multimedia, and network resources have generated the development and utilization of new and innovative teaching strategies (Sam, Othman, & Ordin, 2005). The emergence of modern computer technologies and the new generation of Web has profoundly changed the way students behave and communicate with each other, which in turn altered the mediation of teaching and learning (Chai et al., 2012, Cheon et al., 2010, Drexler et al., 2008, Tsai, 2001). In most educational settings, teachers are required to utilize ICT in their teaching (Baylor and Ritchie, 2002, Haydn and Barton, 2008, Zhao et al., 2001). The importance of integrating ICT in education and teachers' competence in technology mainly results from characterization of a new generation, the so-called ‘Net Generation’ or ‘the digital natives' that refers to young people born roughly between 1982 and 1994 and grew up immersed in technology (Oblinger and Oblinger, 2005, Prensky, 2001, Tapscott, 1998). Several qualities attributed to the Net Generation such as their reliance on ICT and ability to use different social media technologies urges teachers to improve their ICT practices to meet the expectations of this generation (Oblinger and Oblinger, 2005, Prensky, 2001). According to Mishra and Koehler (2006), the need for sufficient digital technology skills and pedagogical knowledge to maximize student learning has challenged the status of technology as a separate entity. Considering technology as a separate construct independent from content and pedagogy later led to the emergence of arguments and proposals as to combine technology with content and pedagogy.

An important criterion for effective and successful use of technology in the classrooms depends on the pedagogical and personal beliefs of teachers (Busch, 1995, Ertmer et al., 2012). Anderson and Maninger (2007) point out that identification and development of PTs' beliefs is essential during teacher preparation as PTs' self-efficacy and beliefs are the strongest predictors of their predicted use of software in their courses in the future. However, studies on self-efficacy perception levels of prospective teachers toward Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge (henceforth W-PCK) in Turkish context are only a few in number (Gömleksiz and Fidan, 2011, Horzum, 2011, Kaya et al., 2011). It is vital to understand how Turkish pre-service EFL teachers perceive their ability in terms of integrating Web in teaching and how they approach using it. The purpose of this study is to investigate EFL teacher candidates' perceived self-efficacy levels and attitudes regarding W-PCK.