Assessing ICT competencies of early childhood teachers in the global south using the TPACK framework

This research fills a gap in Ghanaian Early Childhood Education (ECE) by investigating the level of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competence among Early Childhood (EC) teachers. This study was guided by a descriptive cross-sectional survey design using the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. Out of 511 EC teachers who were recruited from deprived urban schools in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, 436 provided valid responses for analysis. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were used to analyze the data. The results revealed a significant disparity in the EC teachers’ capacity to apply and implement Technological, Content, and Pedagogical knowledge in teaching and learning. Although the teachers demonstrated a high level of Content Knowledge (M = 4.21, SD = 0.58) and Pedagogical Knowledge (M = 4.20, SD = 0.55), their level of Technological Knowledge was quite low (M = 3.55, SD = 1.17). Moreover, EC teachers exhibited low Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (M = 2.03, SD = 1.07) and general TPACK integration (M = 2.20, SD = 0.82). They had an indecisive Technological Content Knowledge (M = 2.65, SD = 0.74), with a relatively lower Pedagogical Content Knowledge (M = 4.01, SD = 0.78). This result indicates the pressing need for professional development that moves beyond basic ICT skills to focus on the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and content. This outcome further offer important insights to guide targeted interventions to improve teacher competence, in line with national ICT policies in Ghana.