Driving Factors and Constraints Influencing Primary School Teachers’ TPACK Development in Hybrid Communities of Practice in South Africa
Keywords:
Constraints; Driving factors; Hybrid Communities of Practice; Primary Schools; Teachers; TPACK; teacher professional developmentAbstract
Despite the growing emphasis on TPACK as an important knowledge, many South African primary school teachers lack structured support to integrate technology effectively into teaching. This study explores the driving factors and constraints influencing primary school teachers’ development of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) within hybrid Communities of Practice (CoPs) in South Africa. The research is grounded in Wenger's (1998) CoP social learning theory and Mishra and Koehler's (2006) TPACK model. A qualitative research approach was employed, involving a group of 12 purposefully selected teachers who participated in open-ended survey questionnaires, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, observational sessions, and in WhatsApp group chat screenshots, all of which were analysed through Atlas.ti. The findings showed the key elements outlined by Wenger (1998) in his CoP social learning theory emerged as key motivating factors for teachers’ acquisition of TK, PK, CK, and TPK. These key elements include community, shaped by social arrangements; practice, defined by problem-solving strategies; meaning, reinforced through repeated dialogues; and identity, enriched by the interaction of core members and newcomers. Conversely, community also acted as a constraint, as teachers’ personal characteristics and traits limited the acquisition and sharing of TK, TPK, TCK, and TPACK within their hybrid CoPs. Gaining an understanding of the relationships between specific factors and their varying effects on TPACK development may offer more focused insights for policymakers, including national governments and global organisations, such as the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.12.31
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