Running in circles: A systematic review of reviews on technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)

Abstract

Extensive research exists on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model and has led to a substantial number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. These publications vary greatly in their focus and provide overviews of specific aspects of TPACK research. This paper aims to consolidate these insights and investigate the following research questions: What do systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses reveal about the current state of the art of TPACK research? What is the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of TPACK? This study identified 21 systematic reviews and 2 meta-analyses eligible for analysis. Overall, the review of the reviews revealed that many of the recurring theoretical or methodological issues of the TPACK framework remain unresolved. To address these issues, research on TPACK needs to simultaneously account for the complex, situated, and dynamic nature of TPACK and clarify the concept of professional knowledge. The review engenders several directions for future research, including a better operationalization of knowledge, more experimental and longitudinal studies, and a more comprehensive measurement and integration of student learning as a dependent variable in research on TPACK.