Exploratory Factor Analysis of TPACK: assessing construct validity in the context of Italian future teachers

Abstract

This study examines the reliability and construct validity of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework among a sample of 1,723 Italian future teachers through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The analysis initially suggested seven factors as per the original TPACK model, but further examination revealed five coherent factors: two distinct Technological Knowledge (TK) factors, a combined Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge factor, a merged Pedagogical Content Knowledge factor, and a distinct Content Knowledge domain. The goodness-of-fit values for the proposed model by EFA were TLI = 0.916 and RMSEA = 0.061 (90% CI [0.059, 0.062]). These findings affirm the construct validity of some of the putative domains of the TPACK model, while also suggesting that certain domains may need revising for more clarity or distinction on certain items and domains. This study provides valuable insights for the use of TPACK in an Italian and teacher training context.