TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge)

Who created it

Punya Mishra & Matthew Koehler (2006)

What is it

Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge (TPACK), is a model that highlights the links between the three knowledge basis for teaching and learning. This framework provides a powerful conceptual model for how technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge can interact in a context.

TPACK is the culmination of all three domains into a holistic view of a the complexities teachers face in a classroom context. The interplay between these three domains highlights what happens as teachers experiment and implement new technology augmented practice. This is important as many technologies are built for a different non-educational context. Re-imagining it in this space requires expertise and thinking like a teacher.

Breaking down the model

The separate knowledge domains for teaching:

Technological Knowledge: Teachers’ knowledge and ability in using various technologies.

Pedagogical Knowledge: Teachers’ knowledge of how to teach. The methods, practice, strategies used for teaching and learning.

Content Knowledge: Teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter.

As the separate domains combine, they form new domains of knowledge that require different understanding:

Pedagogical-Content Knowledge: The link between the content and how to teach it. Each curriculum area will have it’s own strategies and ways of approaching teaching and learning.

Technological-Content Knowledge: How to use the technology to increase the effectiveness of the content knowledge. As an example, using self-marking mathematics questions for practice.

Technological-Pedagogical Knowledge: How technology changes and enables different pedagogies. As an example, using a shared Google Doc to facilitate peer feedback.

Why it’s useful

To fully integrate technology into practice, it needs to become ingrained into the thinking and implementation of teaching and learning. Teachers are choosing tools to use, but they must also consider why and how this will enable pedagogy and content understanding in students. Treating it as a separate entity does not allow for it to fully be integrated.

Teachers do not necessarily have to know about this model but school leaders and trainers should be aware of the implication of this type of thinking in their local context. By not keeping this model in mind, it can be challenging to successfully integrate technology into the learning context.

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Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)?. Contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 9(1), 60-70.