There currently is an abundant knowledge based to inform us that in schools, Teachers play the critical role in students learning and achievement.  Competencies are the skills and knowledge that enable the teachers to be successful.  The development of new technologies  has raised  a new  questions  and  also  played a vital  role in learning  achievements   of the children.  In particular,  the researchers  who follow  mobile  learning theory  believe  that mobile learning contributes to the students learning in two ways.  First  Technological  devices  influence  the  access  to educational  outcomes (visser&  west 2005),  Motlik 2008)  Second ,  they improve the quality  and types of instructional   methods (Kukulska- Hulme &Traxler 2007, PP- 184-186  Traxler 2007  P-7).

In general, at present, the technological devices plays a vital role to enhancing the techno pedagogical skills in teaching and learning process. Therefore, the  investigator  took a stern efforts to find out how far Higher secondary teachers use technological devices  during their teaching  and also this study made an attempt to make the teachers  use technological devices so as to improve their blended learning in teaching  competencies of their regular class room  teaching.

Need for the study

At present, the learning and teaching have been brought into the optimum level in terms of technical, technological with wide and variety of knowledge.  The technology, especially information and communication technology has been playing a chief role in the instructional purpose especially at the level of Higher Secondary schools. The Higher secondary teachers may not aware of using even QR Code given in text books.  Even after the supply of free laptop to higher secondary teachers by Government they fail  to use lap top to collect information to tune up their  teaching  competencies.  The present study  made an attempt  to  find out the awareness  of teaching competencies of teachers with the use of Electronic  white  boards,  Flipped Learning Desktops and Laptops, Projectors,  Video-Conferencing  classroom  technologies, mobile  learning, dhiksha and moodle.  In this juncture, the investigator, investigated to find out the level  and also to assess  the role  of higher secondary teacheres  (Arts and Science)  in using  Technological  devices  whenever  they  teach the   content  in their classrooms.

Objectives of the Study

1. To find out the level of higher secondary teachers in using Techno pedagogical skill.
2. To find out  significant  difference  in awareness of  higher secondary teachers   in using  techno pedagogical skill  with relation to variables  (Gender,  Area,  Subject , Experience and   Age) selected  for the study.
3. To find out the  improvement  of  Teaching competency of higher secondary teachers  in using  Techno pedagogical skill   with relation  to variables (Gender,  Area,  Subject , Experience and   Age) selected for the study.

Hypotheses

1. The level of Higher secondary teachers in using Techno pedagogical skill for teaching may be average.
2. There will be significant difference in awareness of Higher secondary teachers in using Techno pedagogical skill with relation to selected variables (Gender, Area,  Subject, Experience and   Age ) for the study.
3. There will be significant  difference in improving  teaching  competency  of Higher secondary teachers with relation to selected variables (Gender,  Area,  Subject, Experience and   Age )  for the study.

Method of Study

In order to realize the above said objectives,  purposive  sampling method  was employed.  A sample of 25 Higher secondary teachers from 5 Govt. Higher Secondary Schools in Sivagangai District, were selected as sample or the present study.  Likert type with 4  point  scale (often,  always, sometimes, never), was used to assess the awareness in using technical  devices and thereby check list and observation were used to assess the teaching  competency.  For the analysis of the data, Statistical Techniques such as mean, Standard Deviation and ‘t’  values were applied.

Analysis and Interpretation

Analysis of data is the most skilled  task of all stages of research  and thus, the present  study carefully  interpreted the collected  data as follows:

Table 1. The awareness of using technological devices among higher secondary teachers in response to variables selected as whole.

The  table 1  shows that in connection with usage of technological devices shows that, 60% percentage  of teachers has entertained the children with QR code in Dhiksha  usage whereas  15%  of teachers  used LMS for online   teaching.  It is also found  that  40%  Video conferencing like Google meet and Teams is 12% and online recourses was used by 20%  and  36%  of Post  graduate  teachers used smart board respectively.

The study revealed   that most of the laptops in schools remained not in function. It is also further inferred that there has been no net-work coverage in the location of schools which are in rural areas.  It was also found that 40% of QR code in text cannot be downloaded.

Table  2. Significance difference in using techno pedagogical skills to enhance the blended learning among the higher secondary teachers with respect to selected variables.

Table 2 shows that the calculated‘t’ values 0.34 (Gender) 0.92 (Experience) 0.95 (Age)  are lesser than that of Table value 1.96 and it is inferred  that null  hypothesis  is accepted.  Hence, there is no significance difference in using technological devices for their teaching   in relation  to Gender,  experience and Age.

The‘t’ values 2.35 (Areas), 4.20 (Subject)  are higher than the table values  1.96.  So the null hypothesis is rejected.  Hence there is significant influence in using technological   devices among the higher secondary teachers with response to their areas   and subjects.

Table  3. Significant difference in using techno pedagogical skills to improve teaching competency with response to selected variables. 

Table 3 shows that the‘t’ values (0.94, 1.59, 0.68, 0.93 and 0.93) for samples  given  in the table are    lesser  than  Table Value 1.96.  Hence,  it is found that   there  was no  significance  difference  among higher secondary Teachers  in the improvement  of their  Teaching  competency  with the use of technological  devices  with  response  to their  gender,  areas, subjects, and experience.

Findings of the Study

• 60% of Higher secondary teachers used QR Code given in text yet  few QR code could not be downloaded.
• The least percentage (12%) of Higher secondary teachers used in  Video conferencing   tool like Google meet and Teams.
• Maximum number of schools were located in rural areas and so there has been no net coverage.  Thus, 36% of Higher secondary teachers involved in using smartboard.
• Electronic white board facilities were not available in most of Higher Secondary Schools.
• Means scores 72.56 (Female), 68.74 (rural) 72.56(Arts), 77.03 (Above 5 years experience) 76.05 (Above  30  years age) have more knowledge  to use technological  devices in classroom  teaching.
• Mean  scores  74.66 (Male) ,  74.68 (rural)  02 (Botany),72.58 (Zoology) 77.21 (Above 30 years age) have  improved  more in their  teaching competency.

Suggestions

The present study can be extended to the students and the teachers at High school level.  In addition, another study may be conducted among B.Ed trainees and their Lecturers towards the usage of technological devices in their regular teaching.