Trends in Higher Education

The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework is widely used to conceptualize teacher knowledge as an interplay of content, pedagogy, and technology. Following recent research interests in examining TPACK as contextually situated knowledge, this study investigates how pre-service physics teachers (undergraduate students in a physics department) and in-service science teachers perceive the domains of TPACK and explores what these differences imply for university-based teacher education. A total of 48 pre-service physics undergraduates and 27 in-service teachers completed an adapted 21-item self-assessment questionnaire, which combined validated items with context-specific modifications. Data analysis included internal consistency reliability tests, independent samples t-tests, and correlation analysis. Results revealed that pre-service teachers reported higher self-assessed competencies, especially in integrative domains, although their knowledge structures appeared less coherent. In contrast, in-service teachers exhibited more coherent and integrated knowledge frameworks, possibly reflecting their accumulated professional experience, despite reporting lower self-confidence. These findings confirm the contextual and situated nature of TPACK, highlighting the divergence between perceived competence and structural coherence. The study contributes by proposing that university science education programs should not only promote theoretical understanding of TPACK but also deliberately embed technology-rich, practice-oriented experiences.

Though higher education has returned to in-person instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for online learning continues to increase. This rapid growth in virtual instruction necessitates examining its impact, particularly in skill-based courses that have traditionally been taught in person. Public speaking, a course requiring experiential learning and active engagement, presents unique challenges and opportunities when converted to an online format. This study explores student experiences in an online public-speaking course designed to parallel the structure of traditional in-person instruction, examining whether the essential learning outcomes of a skill-based class can be effectively achieved remotely. Using archival student data (n = 1151) from 2021 to 2024, we conducted a qualitative analysis of student reflections on how in-person pedagogical strategies effectively implemented in the online format influenced their self-concept, mindset, and overall learning experience. Our findings indicate significant improvements in students’ self-concept, growth mindset, self-confidence, and their ability to overcome fears related to public speaking. Additionally, students highlighted unexpected benefits of the online format, including enhanced support for multilingual learners and increased connections between course content and greater future career readiness in utilizing remote communication. These results highlight the potential of well-designed online public speaking instruction to foster skill development, professional preparedness, and inclusive learning. The study has implications for future skill-based online pedagogy and curriculum development.

Studying at a university regional campus presents unique opportunities, challenges, and experiences for students. People who live in rural and regional areas are less likely to gain a tertiary degree, and barriers include access, cost, and competing priorities and aspirations. Students are often from lower socio-economic status backgrounds, first in family, and have diverse caring responsibilities, needing a different approach to support when entering higher education. Many studies focus on transitions to higher education for a commencing student. However, student expectations of and engagement in their studies at a regional university are under-researched. Four cross-discipline researchers conducted a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a larger project investigating students’ expectations and experiences of studying at University of Tasmania’s regional Cradle Coast Campus to identify how to better support students in the first two years of their degrees. An online survey collected responses from students commencing a degree through on-campus study. Data were thematically analysed using recurrent abstraction. Five themes emerged under the overarching theme of great expectations. Data contributes to understanding the relevance of Kahu and Nelson’s framework, of student engagement in a regional context. Consideration of these findings will assist in supporting and engaging regional people in higher education.