Italian Teachers and TPACK-G: An Exploratory Study of Its Relationship with Attitudes Towards DGBL and Digital Self-efficacy

Numerous studies have highlighted the opportunities offered by digital game-based teaching on cohorts of students at all levels of education. Positive effects on motivation, learning and relationships have been highlighted. The teacher needs specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes to implement this pedagogical approach effectively, which, because of the specific nature of digital game-based learning (DGBL), has a close relationship to digital competence. In particular, the question of what skills the teacher needs to develop to introduce this instructional innovation into teaching and learning processes remains an overlooked area of study. This study aimed at exploring TPACK-G in a sample of Italian teachers, deepening the relationship between GK, GPK and GPCK, and critical variables such as Digital self-efficacy and attitudes towards digital game-based learning. Results highlight the crucial role of teacher Experience with games (EWG) and Game knowledge (GK) in predicting Game pedagogical content knowledge.