The TPACK model was developed following the conceptualization of “Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)” ( SHULMAN, 1986), to elucidate the interplay between educators’ understanding of technological advances in education and PCK, which synergistically contribute to effective technology-enhanced instruction. LYUBLINSKAYA; KAPLON-SCHILIS ( 2022) posited that the emergence of the TPACK model can be attributed to the heightened focus among scholars on the readiness of language educators to incorporate technology into their instructional practices. According to SAUBERN et al. ( 2020), this paradigm was first presented for the field of mathematics education. Subsequently, it was applied to a variety of other topics and situations by other writers.

This particular approach necessitates that educators must possess a comprehensive understanding of “pedagogical knowledge (PK)”, “Subject-Matter knowledge (CK)”, as well as “technology knowledge (TK)”, which is commonly known as extensive imparting information. Moreover, the model underscores the paramount importance of the simultaneous interaction among the three components, namely “CK”, “PK”, as well as “TK”, for language teaching procedures. The TPACK model recognizes the inevitability of ongoing technological progress. In light of this emerging paradigm, it is imperative for educators to receive instruction in the utilization of diverse technologies, as well as develop the requisite expertise to handle the vicissitudes engendered by the implementation of novel software and hardware.

The TPACK model offers an innovative perspective on deploying digital tools in lecture halls via concentrating not only on the instruction of instrumental abilities but also on the interrelationship between those competencies and the instructional component. Cognitive, methodological, emotional, and behavioral skills should be stressed in first lecturer education, according to VYGOTSKII; COLE ( 1978). These are the abilities that should be addressed in initial lecturer education. Because of their expertise and comprehension, university lecturers may employ technological tools in lecture halls. The model is explicated in intricate detail as an intricate interplay among three distinct domains of knowledge, namely content, pedagogy, and technology, in order to attain the desired objective. The goal of this interaction is to ensure that lecturers have a well-rounded understanding of how to effectively incorporate technology into their classrooms. The interplay of various “bodies of information, both theoretically and in practice, provides the forms of flexible knowledge that are necessary to effectively incorporate technology usage into teaching” ( ANDRIANY; ADNAN, 2022, p. 38).

“Content knowledge” implies the understanding lecturers have concerning an area of study which will form a component of the class lecture. According to the research conducted by GÓMEZ-TRIGUEROS; YÁÑEZ DE ALDECOA ( 2021), the curriculum content suitable for “a high school history or science class differs from that of an art appreciation undergraduate course or an astrophysics doctoral seminar”. A fundamental requirement for educators is to possess a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter they impart. Moreover, Technological Knowledge (TK) pertains to the proficiency necessary for the operation of computers and their corresponding software. The notion of Technological Knowledge (TK) as employed in the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model bears a striking resemblance to the description of Fluency of Information Technology (FITness) as introduced by the Committee on Information Technology Literacy of the National Research Council in 1999 ( NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL; COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD; COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LITERACY, 1999, p. 78). HANNAH; HEYNS; MULLIGAN ( 2020) argue that the concept of FITness surpasses conventional understandings of computer literacy. It necessitates a comprehensive comprehension of technological innovation that enables individuals to effectively apply it in their private and business domains, identify situations where information technology can facilitate or impede goal attainment, and continuously adapt to technological advancements.

In addition, the use of various teaching strategies in an efficient manner is what is referred to as Pedagogical Knowledge (PK). This form of knowledge covers not only the techniques that are used in teaching but also knowledge about the nature of the audience that is being taught to, as well as ways for assessing student comprehension. This type of knowledge extends beyond the simple application of teaching methods. According to YEH; CHAN; HSU ( 2021), a language lecturer that has an in-depth pedagogical understanding knows how students generate information and gain abilities, as well as how they cultivate habits of mind and favorable attitudes toward learning.

The notion of PCK centers around the concept of modifying subject matter for instructional purposes. SHULMAN ( 1986, p. 83) asserted that the “transformation occurs when the educator scrutinizes the subject matter, identifies multiple approaches to represent it, and modifies and customizes the instructional resources to accommodate diverse perspectives and the learners’ prior understanding”. This phenomenon occurs when the educator employs diverse methods to illustrate the content. GÓMEZ-TRIGUEROS; YÁÑEZ DE ALDECOA ( 2021) posit that the central focus of educational instruction, program of study, evaluation, and reporting is the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge. This comprehensive understanding encompasses the factors that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, in addition to the interconnections among teaching methods, educational content, and evaluation.

Thus, an experienced lecturer deals differently in such circumstances, he/she is distinct from one who is just starting out in the profession since the former has a greater understanding of how to implement a variety of instructional models and tactics, as well as how to improve student interaction inside the classroom, ONER ( 2020).

The term “Technological Pedagogical Knowledge”, represents the claim that technology may help make educational methods more effective. One example of this would be the use of asynchronous discussion forums to enhance the social creation of knowledge. This domain of inquiry pertains to the examination of potential modifications in pedagogy and cognition resulting from the implementation of particular technological tools in distinct manners. This involves having a solid understanding of the pedagogical affordances and restrictions posed by a variety of technology tools, particularly in relation to the pedagogical designs and techniques that are developmentally and disciplinary-appropriate ( LYUBLINSKAYA; KAPLON-SCHILIS, 2022).

In the academic industry, the distinction between experienced and poor educators is largely dependent upon whether or not the lecturer has a strong grasp of how technology may be employed in teaching tactics. This is especially true when technology is incorporated into the pedagogical expertise of lecturers. According to KOEHLER; MISHRA; CAIN ( 2009) TPK is a type of knowledge that is concerned with how lecturers use a range of tools...for a particular task, the ability to choose a tool based on its fitness, strategies for using the tool’s affordances, and knowledge of pedagogical strategies and the ability to apply it. TPK is beneficial for a number of reasons, one of which is that it enables language lecturers to broaden their expertise in the use of various technological tools, particularly those that are suitable for the classroom, given that the majority of today’s most popular software applications were not developed with instruction in mind. This, however, demands reorientating lecturers on the value and application of digital tools in lecture halls, in such a way that the technologies in question may be reconfigured and tailored for pedagogical reasons. Transformative pedagogical practices entail a progressive, inventive, and receptive approach to utilizing technological devices, not solely for the sake of technology, but rather to enhance student learning and understanding ( HARTONO; SUPARTO; HASSAN, 2021).

The understanding of how different forms of technology and content connect at an interface is referred to as TCK. The term “Technological Content Knowledge” (TCK) pertains to an understanding of the interplay between technological advances and information, including their mutual influence and limitations. One example of TCK is the use of computer simulations to portray and analyze the motions of the earth’s crust. When teaching a foreign language, the target language itself constitutes the subject matter or topic knowledge. The effect of this component of the TPACK model is that the obligation of understanding the right technology that is suited for the pedagogy of a given topic is passed on to the language lecturers. This also implies that language lecturers are able to pick, change, apply, and integrate certain technological components that are the most suitable for the material that will be taught. EFL lecturers in China, for instance, are now teaching English based on the content of TED talks (technology, entertainment, and design), and they support students’ conversation as a result of the ease with which they can access internet video resources such as TED video lectures ( ANDRIANY; ADNAN, 2022).

The research employed a descriptive-analytical approach due to the specialized nature of the subject matter. Additionally, a quantitative methodology was utilized to assess the gathered data. This study involved a random selection of 300 university professors of foreign languages who utilize digital communication networks.

The study’s sample comprises 300 foreign language lecturers who were selected from various locations using digital communication platforms. The foreign language lecturers who were involved in the study were concurrently teaching various foreign languages at different universities during the timeframe of January 2023 to April 2023, which coincided with the duration of the study.

In this research, a random sampling technique was adopted in selecting from the study population. Consequently, three hundred lecturers (one-hundred and seventy-five male and one-hundred and twenty-five female) who teach foreign languages in different universities actively participated in this research. However, a web-based questionnaire was utilized via Google Forms to gather data. The statistical software package SPSS was utilized for both the entry and analysis of the data. The tabular representation depicts the attributes of the selected populace while considering various pertinent variables.

Table 1.
Demographic Variables

Each participant in the study was administered a Likert Scale questionnaire consisting of five points. The survey comprises two fundamental components. The initial segment is allocated to the examination of significant demographic variables. The last section aligns with the viewpoints espoused by lecturers of foreign languages regarding the incorporation of technological apparatuses within the lecture room environment. Also, it takes into account the evaluation of the effects of the use of technology in foreign language instruction, as determined by the implementation of the TPACK model.

Statistical tools, such as graphs and tables, were utilized to assess the values provided by the respondents across the various inputs of the questionnaire. The responses obtained from the questionnaire were utilized to ascertain frequencies and percentages, which were subsequently inputted into the system.

This section seeks to expound on the views of university lecturers on using digital tools in lecture halls. Table 2 presents the result of the collated data.

Table 2.
Result of Usage of Technology in Foreign Language Teaching, Including Attitudes of Lecturers

Table 2 represents the views of university lecturers, particularly those that teach foreign languages with the integration of technology in teaching foreign language. The following findings are evident from the data presented above:

1. 1. Over 69% of the participants claim that they do not use technology-based tools in teaching, about 25% affirm using these tools, while 3.76% remained neutral. This shows that despite the effectiveness of the use of technological tools to teach, there are underlying factors that can deter its integration into the educational system. The 2.74 mean value is indicative of the lower number of study participants that accept that they frequently use various technological tools in teaching foreign languages in the lecture halls;
2. 2. While approximately 35% of the participant affirmed that they have received training on the use of technology in language teaching, more than 60% of the lecturers that participated in the study refute this claim. While there is advocacy on the literacy of language pedagogy using technology, it is necessary to note that adequate provision such as training teaches on how to make use of technological tools is required for effective integration of technology in language pedagogy;
3. 3. The third question item from the table above indicate that language lecturers still appreciate the use of traditional teaching tools in the classroom. The majority of the participants, which is approximately 58% rejected the idea that technological tools should only be used in teaching foreign language, while more than 38% accepted the idea. This indicates that the integration of technological tools in foreign language may need to be supported by other conventional tools that also facilitate the teaching of foreign languages in the lecture halls;
4. 4. Foreign language lecturers majorly face challenges in the use of technology in teaching if they lack proper training on the usage of these tools. About 62% of the participants affirm that they encounter challenges in the usage of these tools, while 32% of them rejected this claim;
5. 5. The last responses reflect the effectiveness of the integration of technology in teaching foreign language. However, this effectiveness is not only seen in the attitude of language lecturers but also in the performances of the students. From the responses, 80% of the participants affirmed the effectiveness of technology usage, while 11% refuted this claim.

Overall, the lecturers showed a positive attitude towards the integration of technological tools in the teaching of foreign languages at the university level. The data indicates that despite the observation that a greater number of lecturers do not use these technological tools in teaching foreign language in the lecture halls, they acknowledge the effectiveness.

This section explores the result of the lecturers’ opinions based on the TPACK model. It is divided into different tables for each of the components of the TPACK model.

Table 3.
Result of data on Technological Knowledge (TK)

Table 3reveals that the effectiveness of the integration of technology in teaching foreign language is highly determined by lecturers’ knowledge of these tools. The data in the table are thus summarized below:

1. 1. In the first response, the majority of the participants affirmed that they are not conversant with all the relevant technology used in teaching language. About 29% of the participant accepted that they know and are conversant with how to operate these tools, while 69% of the participants refuted this idea. The implication of this finding is that the percentage of foreign language lecturers who are constantly catching up with lasts technological tools for language pedagogy is on the low side;
2. 2. The second responses affirm that the technology plays the role of complementing the traditional teaching method and tools used in teaching foreign language. More than 50% of the participants confirm that technology complements regular language pedagogy, while 22% refuted this claim;
3. 3. The third responses from the research participant reflect on the steps foreign language lecturers take to ensure that they have the necessary technological knowledge to effectively integrate technology into their teaching. The majority of the participants (68%) indicated that they do not attend professional development sessions or workshops in order to improve their knowledge of the use of technological tools, while 28% rejected this claim.

Table 4.
Result of the data on the Pedagogical Knowledge (PK)

The above table reflects on the effectiveness of the integration of technology in language teaching through the evaluation of how language lecturers align pedagogical principles with the technology they use in teaching language. The findings of the table are summarized below:

1. 1. In the first question, more than 60% of the language lecturers used for the study affirmed that they do not use technology in a way that aligns with my pedagogical approach, while 33% of the participants rejected this claim. This finding suggests that despite the availability of the latest technological tools which suit different pedagogical methods, university lecturers only make use of the ones at their disposal;
2. 2. The second question in the above table is highly important to the integration of technology in teaching. It shows that even though that language lecturers use technological tools to teach, it is necessary for them to use these tools to assess students’ understanding of a concept that has been taught. While 24% of the participant affirmed to this idea, 69% of them refuted this claim;
3. 3. The response to the third question is an indication that some lecturers prefer that the technology method of language teaching exists with the traditional method. Out of the 300 participants, more than 50% confirm that the technological method of foreign language teaching should not completely replace the traditional method.

Table 5.
Result of the data on the Content Knowledge

The above table reveals the effectiveness of the integration of technology by university lecturers through the evaluation of how these language lecturers align technology with the learning objectives and content of the language course. The findings are summarized as this:

1. 1. The responses from the first question show that university lecturers who make use of technology to teach, integrate appropriate technology with the appropriate content they want to teach. From the table above, over 63% of the participants affirm that they align technology with the learning objectives and content of the language course, while 30% of the participants refuted this claim. This conclusion has the consequence that language lecturers need to be aware of the particular technologies that are most effective for addressing subject-matter learning in their domains and how the technology may be changed or dictated by the content, or vice versa;
2. 2. The second question addresses how university lecturers select the technological tools they use in teaching foreign language. From the responses, more than 63% of the participants accepted the claim that they do not put into consideration students’ interests while selecting technology to be used in teaching a subject matter. Just over 25% accepted the claim that they consider students’ needs, interests, and learning styles when selecting and using technology.
3. 3. Lastly, a greater percentage of university lecturers affirmed that students show a positive attitude when technology is used to teach them a foreign language. Over 77% of the participants align with this idea while about 20% refuted this idea. This finding suggests that as the language lecturer is integrated, the interest and needs of students should be prioritized.

The analysis has presented different views of the lecturers drawn across different universities and also analyzed the findings. It is pertinent to further reiterate what has been established in the presented result. The lecturers disclosed their utilization of technology in language instruction, and the findings revealed that a significant proportion of them refrain from incorporating technology in their teaching practices. More than half of the participants assert that they do not utilize technology-based instruments in their pedagogical practices, whereas about a quarter of them acknowledge employing such tools. This demonstrates that despite the efficacy of utilizing technological resources for pedagogical purposes, there exist underlying impediments that may hinder its assimilation within the academic model.

Furthermore, certain language lecturers have attested to the infrequency of their training on the appropriate incorporation of said tools during their teaching practices. According to the data, 35% of the participants acknowledged having received instruction on the implementation of technology in language instruction, whereas 55% of the respondents denied having undergone such training. The promotion of technology-based language pedagogy has been advocated for; however, it is imperative to acknowledge that the successful integration of technology in language pedagogy necessitates adequate provision of training to equip educators with the skills to effectively utilize technological tools. Approximately 58% of the participants demonstrated a rejection of the notion that technological tools should be exclusively utilized in the instruction of foreign language, whereas 38% of the participants exhibited acceptance of this concept. Lack of adequate training on the usage of technological tools poses a significant challenge to lecturers in their teaching endeavors. Approximately 62% of the participants reported encountering challenges in utilizing these tools, whereas 32% of the participants refuted this assertion.

Moreover, a significant proportion of the respondents acknowledged their lack of familiarity with the various technologies employed in language instruction. Approximately 29% of the participants acknowledged possessing knowledge and proficiency in operating the aforementioned tools, whereas 69% of the participants contested this notion. This finding suggests that a relatively small proportion of foreign language lecturers are consistently keeping up with the latest technological advancements in language pedagogy.

The lecturers have also confirmed that technology serves as a complement to the conventional teaching methods and tools employed in foreign language instruction. Over half of the participants affirmed that technology serves as a complementary tool to conventional language pedagogy, whereas 22% of the participants contradicted this assertion. The findings of the study are in agreement with the findings of other studies, including the research conducted by ABDULRAHAMAN et al. ( 2020), AHMADI ( 2018), HARTONO; SUPARTO; HASSAN ( 2021), LYUBLINSKAYA; KAPLON-SCHILIS ( 2022), among others.

*yosefabdalgani@gmail.com†zehavit.gross@biu.ac.il