An Alternative Way of Thinking about the Relationship between Distance Education and TPCK: Insight from Chemistry Teachers

Provisionally accepted

Dealing with technology is crucial as it involves methods and instructional processes in implementing distance education. These factors influence the enhancement of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPCK) skills, particularly in technology literacy. However, the specific effect of distance education on improving TPCK skills has yet to be thoroughly investigated. This research endeavor sought to investigate the correlation between distance education and the TPCK competencies of learners in the field of chemistry education, as well as to pinpoint the predominant determinants in the realm of distance education. Fifty-three students from the Department of Chemistry Education at a public university in Indonesia participated in this research. The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. A purpose-design survey method was used for the quantitative approach, while factors causing an increase in TPCK levels through distance education were identified using the qualitative approach. The results show a significance value of regression analysis (0.04) <0.05 between distance education and TPCK skills, indicating that distance education influences the TPCK skills of chemistry teachers. Among the four factors of distance education, media communication as a dialogue tool emerged as the variable with the most positive impact. Media communication is crucial for establishing effective communication and interaction between students and teachers, which will be explored deeply in terms of teaching stage, age, and gender.