TPACK: a descriptive study of science teachers’ integration of the virtual laboratory in rural school teaching

As educational settings increasingly integrate innovative technologies into teaching methodologies, it becomes crucial to understand how teachers, especially those in rural schools, develop and apply these integrative competencies. Neglecting this endeavour risks leading to the abandonment or underutilisation of these technologies once they are deployed in schools. This descriptive study explored the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of life sciences teachers, focusing on their competencies to integrate virtual labs (VLs) into classroom practices. The research, framed by Koehler and Mishra’s TPACK framework, involves a quantitative analysis of data collected from 186 life sciences teachers. The findings indicate that, overall, respondents exhibited low levels of TPACK, suggesting a limited proficiency in integrating VL technologies into their teaching methods. However, analysis of the individual TPACK domains revealed a notable mastery of non-technology-related domains, particularly in content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The emphasis on in-service teachers suggests that teaching experience significantly contributes to the development of these foundational knowledge components. Despite the proficiency in non-technology domains, a significant disparity is evident in technology-related TPACK domains, with lower competency levels observed in technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and overall TPACK. Notably, this study addresses a gap in educational research by emphasising the significance of rural school teachers, a population often overlooked in such studies. The study recommends that tailored professional development, coupled with more widespread adoption of VLs, has the potential to enhance teachers’ overall TPACK to adeptly leverage this technology in their teaching.