Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge - A Framework for Teacher Knowledge

Mishra & Koehler (2006) propose the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework, addressing the lack of a theoretical foundation in educational technology research. Expanding on Shulman’s (1986) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), TPCK integrates Technology (T) into the relationship between Content (C) and Pedagogy (P). The framework underscores that effective teaching with technology is not just about using tools but about understanding their pedagogical affordances and constraints.

The article critiques traditional professional development models, arguing that training teachers in isolated tech skills does not lead to meaningful classroom integration. Instead, it advocates for a design-based learning approach, where teachers engage in iterative, real-world problem-solving to develop TPCK organically.

Research findings demonstrate that teachers evolve from viewing technology, pedagogy, and content as separate domains to developing a holistic understanding of their interdependencies. This shift supports more effective and adaptable teaching practices, emphasizing that successful technology integration is an ongoing, reflective process rather than a fixed skill set.

• TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) expands on Shulman’s PCK by integrating technology as a key component of teacher knowledge.
• The interplay of Content, Pedagogy, and Technology is crucial—teachers must understand how technology transforms both pedagogy and subject representation.
• TPCK is dynamic—teachers must continually adapt as technology evolves, requiring ongoing professional development.
• The "Learning Technology by Design" approach emphasizes learning through authentic, ill-structured problems, fostering deep integration of TPCK.
• Effective technology integration is not tool-based but concept-based, requiring teachers to develop a nuanced understanding of how tools shape teaching and learning.
• Research on TPCK development shows teachers initially treat technology, pedagogy, and content as separate, but with experience, they integrate them into a cohesive, transactional framework.

1. Research in the area of educational technology has often been critiqued for a lack of theoretical grounding. @mishra2006, 1017
2. We argue, briefly, that thoughtful pedagogical uses of technology require the development of a complex, situated form of knowledge that we call Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). @mishra2006, 1017
3. Developing theory for educational technology is difficult because it requires a detailed understanding of complex relationships that are contextually bound. @mishra2006, 1018
4. Design experiments, as a research methodology, emphasize the detailed implementation and study of interventions with evolving pedagogical goals in rich authentic settings. @mishra2006, 1019
5. Shulman (1986) advanced thinking about teacher knowledge by introducing the idea of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). @mishra2006, 1021
6. PCK represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular aspects of subject matter are organized, adapted, and represented for instruction. @mishra2006, 1021
7. At the heart of PCK is the manner in which subject matter is transformed for teaching. @mishra2006, 1021
8. Although Shulman did not discuss technology and its relationship to pedagogy and content, we do not believe that these issues were considered unimportant. @mishra2006, 1023
9. Content knowledge (CK) is knowledge about the actual subject matter that is to be learned or taught. @mishra2006, 1026
10. Pedagogical knowledge (PK) is deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning @mishra2006, 1026
11. This knowledge includes knowing what teaching approaches fit the content, and likewise, knowing how elements of the content can be arranged for better teaching. @mishra2006, 1027
12. Technology knowledge (TK) is knowledge about standard technologies, such as books, chalk and blackboard, and more advanced technologies, such as the Internet and digital video. @mishra2006, 1027
13. Technological content knowledge (TCK) is knowledge about the manner in which technology and content are reciprocally related. @mishra2006, 1028
14. Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) is knowledge of the existence, components, and capabilities of various technologies as they are used in teaching and learning settings, and conversely, knowing how teaching might change as the result of using particular technologies. @mishra2006, 1028
15. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) is an emergent form of knowledge that goes beyond all three components (content, pedagogy, and technology). @mishra2006, 1028
16. The introduction of the Internet can be seen as an example of a technology whose arrival forced educators to think about core pedagogical issues (Peruski & Mishra, 2004; Wallace, 2004). @mishra2006, 1029
17. We argue that a serious consideration of this framework suggests a possible restructuring of professional development experiences for teachers so that they might develop the kind of nuanced understandings called for in our TPCK framework. @mishra2006, 1030
18. Consistent with other research in this area (Barab & Duffy, 2000), we offer learners authentic and engaging ill-structured problems that reflect the complexity of the real world (Marx, Blumenfeld, Krajcik, & Soloway, 1997; Pea, 1993)—the design of online courses, for example. @mishra2006, 1035
19. the main role of the instructor in such an environment is that of a facilitator and problemsolving expert rather than an expert in the content @mishra2006, 1035
20. Analysis revealed that the scenarios enacted by each design group have common elements that play out in unique ways depending upon the course, the faculty member, and the students in the team. @mishra2006, 1041
21. We tracked one faculty member, Dr. Shaker, focusing on the evolution of her thinking and the thinking of her design team. Our analysis revealed important changes in Dr. Shaker’s technological literacy and her thinking about her personal relationship with technology. @mishra2006, 1042
22. Theories, frameworks, or models can be seen as conceptual lenses through which to view the world. @mishra2006, 1043
23. In the area of pedagogy, we provide additional support to the use of authentic design-based activities for teaching technology by allowing students to learn in contexts that honor the rich connections between technology, the subject matter (content), and the means of teaching it (the pedagogy). @mishra2006, 1046

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x