Unpacking Chinese EFL Teachers’ TPACK Challenges in Online Teaching
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006804 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yanjun Gao (0000-0001-8367-2328, Anyang Institute of Technology), Timothy Teo (0000-0002-7552-8497, Chinese University of Hong Kong), Su Luan Wong (0000-0001-7824-314X, Universiti Putra Malaysia, corresponding author), Jingxin Geng (0000-0002-8995-6839, Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Fangfang Diao (Anyang Institute of Technology) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261428059 |
| OpenAlex | W7136322730 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
The integration of online teaching into higher education necessitates a deep understanding of the sustained challenges teachers face. This qualitative study investigates the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) challenges encountered by Chinese university-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in their online practice. Data collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers were analyzed thematically using the TPACK framework as a diagnostic lens. The findings reveal that the core impediments reside not in isolated knowledge domains but in the integrative components of TPACK. Specifically, teachers faced significant difficulties in Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), struggling to design meaningful communicative activities and to monitor student engagement effectively online. Concurrently, they encountered substantial challenges in Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), including sourcing level-appropriate digital materials and managing cumbersome workflows across fragmented platforms. The study concludes that a deficit in synthesizing technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge underpins these struggles. It underscores the need for targeted professional development that moves beyond technical training to explicitly foster the integrative capacities essential for effective online language teaching
Digital content · Educational technology · Foreign language · Professional development · Qualitative research · Teaching method · Technology integration · Unpacking · Workflow · Literacy, Media, and Education · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Second Language Learning and Teaching
What’s next for Ed-Tech? Critical hopes and concerns for the 2020s
Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge
Technological Pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in action
Development of the teacher’s technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) from the Lesson Study
Academic Communities of Engagement
The post‐Covid‐19 future of digital learning in higher education
Those Who Understand
Preparing teachers to teach science and mathematics with technology
Understanding English teachers’ non-volitional use of online teaching
Understanding language teachers' practice with educational technology
Using thematic analysis in psychology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |