Engineering design as a framework for developing pre-service teachers' TPACK in digital making environments

Abstract

The integration of digital making technologies and engineering design (ED) in teacher education has created new opportunities to support the professional knowledge required for teaching in technology-rich environments. Within this context, the TPACK framework provides a valuable lens for understanding how content, pedagogy, and technology are dynamically integrated in practice. However, less is known about how these domains of knowledge are enacted and interconnected throughout iterative design processes. This study explored how the ED process supports the development and integration of pre-service teachers‘ TPACK in digital making environments. A qualitative interpretative study was conducted with 12 pre-service teachers enrolled in a master‘s program in Mathematics and Science Education at a Portuguese higher education institution. Multiple data sources were collected, including classroom observations, participants‘ reflective journals, sketches, and digital and physical artifacts produced using Tinkercad and 3D printing. The findings indicate that the ED process used to design mathematical manipulatives created opportunities for participants to mobilize and progressively integrate content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge. Different levels of knowledge integration emerged across the steps of the design cycle, with iterative testing and redesign playing a key role in fostering reflective decision-making and professional learning. Overall, the study highlights the potential of ED and digital making as promising pedagogical frameworks for supporting integrated professional knowledge and fostering innovative practices in teacher education.