Pathways to Enhancing University Teachers’ TPACK Competence Through Instructional Support Services

Abstract

Enhancing university teachers’ competence in using information technology has become an increasingly pressing concern as higher education undergoes digital transformation. This study investigates how instructional support services can contribute to this goal, an issue that remains underexamined in the existing literature. The research adopts the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and employs a qualitative case study methodology. The analysis identifies four main pathways through which instructional support services facilitate teachers’ technological capacity development. First, technology empowerment assists instructors in moving from basic operational familiarity to skillful application of digital tools. Second, curriculum-driven support helps teachers naturally integrate technology into instruction during online course development and lecture recording. Third, competition-led encouragement motivates faculty to apply a combination of pedagogical and technical knowledge under performance pressure. Fourth, research collaboration deepens teachers’ understanding of technology through engagement in scholarly projects. These pathways are mutually reinforcing and collectively enhance teachers’ overall TPACK competence. The study also reveals persistent challenges, including insufficiently tailored support, a lack of long-term development mechanisms, superficial research collaboration, and weak incentive structures. In response, the paper proposes the establishment of discipline-specific support systems, sustainable professional development mechanisms, the transformation of technical staff into genuine research partners, and improved incentive frameworks. By shifting the perspective from individual teacher learning to the enabling role of institutional support services, this research offers practical insights for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen their instructional support systems. Future research could examine the generalizability of these pathways across different institutional contexts in multiple follow-up studies.