From knowledge to intention: The role of TPACK and self-efficacy in technology integration

Abstract

Educational technology (ET) is playing an increasingly important role in classrooms and has the potential to support student learning. However, teachers need to implement ET in a purposeful way. A necessary –but insufficient –condition for meaningful implementation of ET is the intention to use it in the first place. This study aims to investigate the predictors of pre-service teachers’ intention to use ET, specifically focusing on how technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) interacts with the constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). While previous research has frequently employed self-reported TPCK to explore these relationships, our study uses a test-based measure to provide a more objective assessment. We also aim to understand how these relationships evolve over time, particularly during a technology integration seminar in teacher education. Using path analysis including N = 146 preservice teachers, we examined the relationships between test-based TPCK, self-efficacy, and the TAM variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use ET). Our findings indicate that self-efficacy is a strong predictor of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of integration, and intention to use ET, whereas TPCK primarily influences perceived usefulness and indirectly affects intention. Furthermore, we observed that the roles of TPCK and self-efficacy shift over time. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how objective measures of professional knowledge can reshape interpretations of TAM studies and guide the design of teacher preparation programs.