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ISSN (Print): 2327-6126 ISSN (Online): 2327-6150 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/education Editor-in-chief: Ratko Pavlović
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American Journal of Educational Research. 2024, 12(6), 201-214
DOI: 10.12691/education-12-6-3
Open AccessArticle

Assessing Lecturers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Teaching Online Courses at Selected Universities in Liberia

Gabriel M. Kennedy1,

1Department of Secondary Education, William V.S. Tubman College of Education University of Liberia, Monrovia Liberia

Pub. Date: June 23, 2024
View Full Text Full Text PDF (546 KB) Full Text ePUB(405 KB)

Cite this paper:
Gabriel M. Kennedy. Assessing Lecturers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Teaching Online Courses at Selected Universities in Liberia. American Journal of Educational Research. 2024; 12(6):201-214. doi: 10.12691/education-12-6-3

Abstract

Teachers' nature plays a critical role in creating a learning environment that allows students to successfully engage with the current educational framework. When integrating technology into education, it's crucial to understand its impact and utilize it effectively for teaching purposes. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the technological and pedagogical content knowledge of university lecturers involved in online teaching in Liberia. The research employed a mixed method, that is, a blending of qualitative and quantitative data. The study's population consisted of 350 lecturers from three chosen universities, and a simple random sampling process yielded a sample size of 170, in which 165 participants took part. Among the participants, 155 completed survey questionnaires, while 10 lecturers participated in open-ended interviews to provide additional insights. The findings indicated that the lecturers had a basic understanding of TPACK. Lecturers had different levels of technology awareness and skills for online instruction. Particularly, knowledge gaps emerged in technological content and pedagogical expertise. The study found a positive relationship between pedagogy knowledge and TPCK, and it highlighted the complex interaction between teaching expertise, technological components, and successful technology integration. The study proposed that education stakeholders organize specialized training programs to improve TPACK capacity for online instruction. This will deepen lecturers’ understanding of the model. Adequate resources, such as internet connectivity, hardware, and software, are important for quality online teaching. The technical infrastructure should be maintained and updated with the necessary investments. Strengthening teachers through TPACK and providing strong technical support is critical to enhancing online learning experiences.

Keywords:
e-learning digital pedagogy technology integration teaching effectiveness TPACK

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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