Exploring the technological pedagogical content knowledge of pre-service teachers in language education

The teacher education programs are concerned not only with pre-service teachers' use of technology but also with their development of knowledge related to the use of technology as a pedagogical tool in teaching; that is, the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK), modeled by Mishra and Koehler (2006). The purpose of this study is to explore how TPCK develops in pre-service English-as-a-Foreign Language (EFL) teachers enrolled in the required computer-assisted language learning (CALL) course. Interviews were gathered to explore the progress of their TPCK during the course. Development of TPCK in the participants is evidenced in their analysis of different functions of TPCK such as understanding what it means to teach English language with technology; knowledge of instructional strategies; knowledge of students' learning; knowledge of materials that integrate technology in language teaching. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved