Exploring the Impact of Teachers' Technology Integration and TPACK Competencies amidst COVID-19: A Mixed-methods Study for Future Educational Preparedness in School

Abstract

COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of the schools across Bhutan, to check the spread of the virus forced the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to transition to online teaching and learning. Teachers were mandated by emergency policies to teach students online through the use of technology, social media, and other social network platforms. Technology integration is influenced by both first and second-order barriers and the quality of technology integration ranges from low-quality integration to high-quality integration. Using survey data from a sample of 110 teachers and interviews with 26 teachers in five districts of Bhutan, this research attempted to identify and delineate teachers technological pedagogical content knowledge and the draw its relation to the quality of technology integration. Sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, which enables researchers to first collect quantitative data and analyze the data to draw first set of findings was used. The findings of the survey were used to guide the interviews conducted during the second phase of the research. Results indicate that teacher are neither proficient in the various dimensions of TPACK nor required too much assistance to navigate the challenges to technology integration. The interview data did not reveal high-quality technology integration in the teaching learning process. Recommendations for policy and practices are provided.