Predictive factors of technological pedagogical content knowledge confidence of secondary school teachers

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a model consisting of the intersection of content area, pedagogy and technology. This model inquires skills like presenting the concepts of the content area using and integrating technology aligned with pedagogical principles, facilitate students' learning process and help them to engage with the content by using technology. Hence affective characteristics are the prerequisites for the development of knowledge and skills, teachers' TPACK self-confidence is an important variable in educational settings.. In this study, the predictors of teachers' TPACK self-confidence were investigated. The problem question of this research is how well the combination of attitudes towards information and communication technologies, attitudes towards teaching profession and some demographic variables (age, gender) predict their TPACK self-confidence. This is a descriptive study, and the sample is 432 secondary school teachers in the province of Aydın. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge self-confidence scale (Graham, Burgoyne, Cantrell, Smith, and Harris, 2009) which is adapted to Turkish culture by Timur and Taşar (2011) is used. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) scale developed by Günbatar (2014), and the attitude scale towards the teaching profession developed by Demirel and Ünişen (2018) were used as data collection tools. Data analysis of the data collected as a result of this research was carried out in the SPSS program. The following findings were obtained by simple linear regression analysis. According to the results of the research, openness to professional development (β=-.13, t = -2.14 p<.05), ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), General ICT Tendency and Software use, which are sub-dimensions of the attitude towards the teaching profession related to self-confidence predicting TPACK. The variables (β=.21 t = 3.68 p<.05),(β=.20 t = 3.01 p<.05) make a significant contribution to the model for predicting TPACK. In general terms, TPACK (dependent variable) explains 27% of the total variance. It showed a negative significant correlation between apathy (β=-.19, t = -2.86 p<.05) and TPB regarding predicting self-confidence regarding TPB. General ICT Tendency (β=.27 t = 5.01 p<.05), Access to Information in Virtual Environment (β=.22 t = 3.24 p<.05), Computer with ICT scale sub-dimensions a significant correlation was found between hardware (β=.14 t =2.03 p<.05), software usage (β=.13 t =2.00 p<.05) and TPB. Overall, TPB explains 36% of the total variance. Regarding the prediction of self-confidence regarding TAB, a positive significant correlation was found only between general ICT tendency (Information and Communication Technologies) and TAB (β= .17 t = 2.60 p<.05). In general terms, TAB explains .5% of the total variance. Only the dimensions of ICT accessing information in the virtual environment (β=.21, t =3.17, p<.01) and ICT computer hardware (β=.29, t =4.28, p<.01) contributed significantly to the model related to predicting self-confidence in TD. Overall, TB explains 41% of the total variance. In general, while the gender and age variable does not contribute significantly to the prediction of self-confidence regarding TPACK, the most contributing variable in general is related to the dimensions of information and communication technologies (ICT). In dimensions related to the teaching profession attitude, openness to professional development is seen as a positive predictor and indifference as a negative predictor.