Teachers' Ingenuity in Creating Digital Media for ELT: A TPACK-Based Examination in the Indonesian EFL Setting

Abstract

Using a Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) lens, this study investigates teachers' inventiveness in creating digital media for ELT in the Indonesian EFL environment. Purposively chosen in-service EFL teachers who were actively utilizing technology participated in a qualitative multiple-case research. Semi-structured interviews, repeated classroom observations of media implementation, and document/artifact analysis (e.g., lesson plans and digital outputs) were used to triangulate the data. TPACK domains were mapped using thematic analysis. Multimedia presentations, videos, learning management systems, and interactive applications for quizzes, debate, collaboration, and feedback were all included by teachers into lesson planning and classroom practice. Instead than creating completely new tools, creativity was most noticeable when current platforms and online resources were modified into contextually appropriate materials and activities. Time demands, disparities in student digital competence, unequal device access, connectivity issues, and deficiencies in technology-focused professional preparation were among the reported difficulties. In order to overcome these obstacles, educators prepared ahead of time, reused resources, made use of the technology that were available, and participated in peer support and training. Although they remained mostly adaptable, TPACK-informed teachers' inventiveness in digital media creation encouraged participation and interaction in Indonesian ELT. To enable more transformative TPACK enactment, infrastructure and professional development must be strengthened.