The Relationship between Teachers’ TPACK and Professional Success: The Case of Novice and Experienced EFL Teachers

Rezaeenia, Nasibeh; Azad, Mahnaz

doi:10.22034/iepa.2026.579896.1595

The Relationship between Teachers’ TPACK and Professional Success: The Case of Novice and Experienced EFL Teachers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Nasibeh Rezaeenia ¹

Mahnaz Azad ²

¹ M.A. Graduate, Department of English Language Teaching, NT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² assisstant professor, Department of TEFL, ET.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2026.579896.1595

Abstract

Objective: With the rapid evolution of digital tools and resources, understanding how educators integrate technology into their pedagogy and content is critical for enhancing teaching effectiveness and students’ engagement resulting in productive educational system. This study investigated the relationship between EFL teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and their professional success. Method: This study was conducted during 2024-2025, applying a mixed-methods correlational design. The instruments included: the teachers’ self-assessment regarding their TPACK questionnaire by Bostancıoğlu and Zoe Handley (2018), the Effective English Language Teacher Questionnaire (EELTQ) by Babai Shishavan and Sadeghi (2009)- as well as a semi-structured interview. 204 EFL learners completed the questionnaires, from whom, 15 volunteered to take part in the interview. To analyze the data, the researchers performed Pearson Correlation and One-Way ANCOVA using SPSS version 23 and Notta AI.
Results: The study showed that both novice and experienced teachers perceive their TPACK positively, particularly in terms of technology knowledge (p > .05). The results revealed that a robust understanding of TPACK contributes to effective teaching practices and enhances professional outcomes, while highlighting that experience alone does not guarantee higher professional success.
Conclusions: This study results advocate for targeted training programs that equip educators with the necessary skills to effectively integrate technology into their teaching, ultimately fostering a more engaging and successful learning environment for students. Furthermore, policymakers should provide workshops that upgrade educators’ TPACK and foster a collaborative environment where novice teachers can learn from experienced colleagues through mentorship programs.

Keywords

TPACK

Professional success

Experienced teachers

Novice teachers

Subjects

School Psychology

Angeli, C., & Valanides, N. (2009). Epistemological and methodological issues for the conceptualization, development, and assessment of ICT–TPCK: Advances in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). Computers & Education, 52(1), 154–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2008.07.006

Azad, M., & Rashvand Semiyari, S. (2020). An investigation on the perceived and actual technological literacy of university instructors and students in Iran. Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 3(9), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2020.230985.1168

Bachman, L. F. (2005). Statistical analysis for language assessment (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Bae, J., & Bachman, L. F. (2010). An investigation of four writing traits and two tasks across two languages. Language Testing, 27(2), 213–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532209349470

Bostancıoğlu, A., & Handley, Z. (2018). Developing and validating a questionnaire for evaluating the EFL 'Total PACKage': Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(5-6), 572–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2017.1422524

Brianza, E., Schmid, M., Tondeur, J., & Petko, D. (2024). The digital silver lining of the pandemic: The impact on preservice teachers' technological knowledge and beliefs. Education and Information Technologies, 29(2), 1591–1616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11801-w

Brinkley-Etzkorn, K. E. (2018). Learning to teach online: Measuring the influence of faculty development training on teaching effectiveness through a TPACK lens. The Internet and Higher Education, 38, 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.04.004

Chaipidech, P., Srisawasdi, N., Kajornmanee, T., & Chaipah, K. (2022). A personalized learning system-supported professional training model for teachers' TPACK development. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, Article 100064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100064

Fan, J., & Wang, Y. (2022). English as a foreign language teachers' professional success in the Chinese context: The effects of well-being and emotion regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 952503. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.952503

Fathi, J., & Yousefifard, S. (2019). Assessing language teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): EFL students' perspectives. Research in English Language Pedagogy, 7(2), 255–282. https://doi.org/10.30486/relp.2019.665888

Feldman, K. A. (1988). Effective college teaching from the students' and faculty's view: Matched or mismatched priorities? Research in Higher Education, 28(4), 291–344. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01006402

Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Fontanilla, H. S. (2016). Comparison of beginning teachers' and experienced teachers' readiness to integrate technology as measured by TPACK Scores [Doctoral dissertation, Brandman University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/openview/154015d6b32bf19d83a36b34c6021e5c/1

George, D., & Mallery, P. (2020). IBM SPSS statistics 26 step by step: A simple guide and reference (16th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429056765

Karchmer-Klein, R., & Konishi, H. (2023). A mixed-methods study of novice teachers' technology integration: Do they leverage their TPACK knowledge once entering the profession? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 55(3), 490–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1976328

Keating, T., & Evans, E. (2001). Three computers in the back of the classroom: Preservice teachers' conceptions of technology integration. In Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference Proceedings (pp. 123–128). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/17023/

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2008). Introducing TPCK. In The handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) for educators (pp. 3–29). Routledge.

Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T. S., & Graham, C. R. (2014). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 101–111). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_9

Mahmoudi, M., Rashtchi, M., & Abbasian, G. R. (2021). Efficacy of in-service education and training (INSET) courses in improving EFL teachers' technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 8(1), 31–54. https://doi.org/10.30479/jmrels.2019.11373.1416

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x

Nazari, N., Nafissi, Z., Estaji, M., & Marandi, S. S. (2019). Evaluating novice and experienced EFL teachers' perceived TPACK for their professional development. Cogent Education, 6(1), Article 1632010. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2019.1632010

Pallant, J. (2016). SPSS survival manual (6th ed.). Allen & Unwin.

Pierson, M. E. (1999). Technology integration practice as a function of pedagogical expertise [Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://doi.org/10.1080/08886504.2001.10782325

Pierson, M. E. (2001). Technology integration practice as a function of pedagogical expertise. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33(4), 413–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/08886504.2001.10782325

Pishghadam, R., Derakhshan, A., Jajarmi, H., Tabatabaee Farani, S., & Shayesteh, S. (2021). Examining the role of teachers' stroking behaviors in EFL learners' active/passive motivation and teacher success. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 707314. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707314

Pishghadam, R., Derakhshan, A., Zhaleh, K., & Al-Obaydi, L. H. (2023). Students' willingness to attend EFL classes with respect to teachers' credibility, stroke, and success: A cross-cultural study of Iranian and Iraqi students' perceptions. Current Psychology, 42(5), 4065–4079. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01738-z

Roussinos, D., & Jimoyiannis, A. (2019). Examining primary education teachers' perceptions of TPACK and the related educational context factors. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 51(4), 377–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2019.1666323

Scherer, R., Howard, S. K., Tondeur, J., & Siddiq, F. (2021). Profiling teachers' readiness for online teaching and learning in higher education: Who's ready? Computers in Human Behavior, 118, Article 106675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106675

Scherer, R., Siddiq, F., Howard, S. K., & Tondeur, J. (2023). The more experienced, the better prepared? New evidence on the relation between teachers' experience and their readiness for online teaching and learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, Article 107530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107530

Scherer, R., Tondeur, J., Siddiq, F., & Baran, E. (2018). The importance of attitudes toward technology for pre-service teachers' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge: Comparing structural equation modeling approaches. Computers in Human Behavior, 80, 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.003

Schmid, M., Brianza, E., & Petko, D. (2021). Self-reported technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service teachers in relation to digital technology use in lesson plans. Computers in Human Behavior, 115, Article 106586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106586

Schmidt, D. A., Baran, E., Thompson, A. D., Mishra, P., Koehler, M. J., & Shin, T. S. (2009). Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): The development and validation of an assessment instrument for preservice teachers. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(2), 123–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2009.10782544

Shishavan, H. B., & Sadeghi, K. (2009). Characteristics of an effective English language teacher as perceived by Iranian teachers and learners of English. English Language Teaching, 2(4), 130–143. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1083690

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015002004

Thompson, A. D., & Mishra, P. (2007). Editors' remarks: Breaking news: TPCK becomes TPACK! Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 24(2), 38–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402454.2007.10784583

Tondeur, J., Scherer, R., Siddiq, F., & Baran, E. (2017). A comprehensive investigation of TPACK within pre-service teachers' ICT profiles: Mind the gap! Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 33(3), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.3504

Turgut, Y. (2017). A comparison of pre-service, in-service and formation program for teachers' perceptions of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in English language teaching (ELT). Educational Research and Reviews, 12(22), 1091–1106. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1161397

Zhao, Y. (Ed.). (2003). What teachers should know about technology: Framing the question. Information Age Publishing.