The conceptualization of teacher professional knowledge for enabling digital pedagogical transformation of content using animations for the topic of electromagnetism

Abstract

Electromagnetism as a topic in the Grade 11 Physical Sciences syllabus in South Africa appears to be a difficult topic to teach and understand. The abstract nature of the concepts and the two dimensional representations in textbooks have contributed to the difficulty in teaching the topic. The COVID-19 pandemic brought home the need to adapt teaching and learning at a faster rate than before, demanding that teaching and learning move onto online platforms at an exponential rate. Traditional theoretical constructs for teacher knowledge like TSPCK have been useful in traditional classrooms settings, however, are becoming insufficient to support the teacher effectively in digital classroom settings. Thus, this study explored the conceptualization and implementation of a refined conceptual framework that acknowledges the development of teacher digital competences and the cognitive load demand on learners who learn through multimedia. Firstly, a new construct was argued for which had its foundation in TSPCK but harnessed the technological knowledge required to digitally transform content and learning principles of multimedia learning. An iterative literature meta-synthesis enabled the amalgamation of three complementary frameworks to promote content transformation on a digital platform. Secondly, the new construct informed an intervention with practising Physical Sciences teachers with knowledge of using technology in the classroom. Results indicated that the participating teachers only possessed TSPCK, a requirement for the development of digital-TSPCK, before the intervention. The analysis of their animation planning, creation and reflections of the process indicated emerging levels of digital-TSPCK in each of the participating teachers. The nature of the component interactions of the amalgamated frameworks indicated that, not only did the components within each framework act together in the planning and creation of the animations, but III also there was visible interaction between the components of the different frameworks, which held potential for further investigation across other science topics. In conclusion, this new construct could empower teachers to become the creators of their own pedagogically reasoned online content in the form of animations. Furthermore, this study opens the floor for future studies in other science topics, and with pre-service teachers to enable them to enter the teaching profession armed with the knowledge to teach as content creators in the 4th Industrial revolution.