Professional Knowledge Clusters of Student Teachers Based on the TPACK Framework

Many countries face a situation where candidates with different backgrounds are being attracted to teacher education. Therefore, groups of student teachers have become heterogeneous. They may differ in terms of background including age, previous experience, attitudes, but also might vary in terms of professional knowledge. The aim of this study was to describe the clusters of student teachers according to the TPACK framework and compare how these clusters differ according to the background data. The sample consisted of 232 student teachers and K-means cluster analysis identified five clusters according to the TPACK framework. The clusters differed in strong and weak areas of TPACK and differences in student teachers’ background data were identified between the clusters. The results indicated student teachers as a heterogeneous group. Therefore, flexible learning pathways are needed in teacher education.