Due to the recent and rapid changes in world economies, globalization and the new demands of workplace, students need to have a deep understanding of the core subjects and be able to apply higher-order thinking skills, solve problems, collaborate with others, become continuing learners, and manage new technologies.  Many countries around the globe are making significant efforts to integrate educational technologies in order to improve the quality of their educational systems and prepare students to acquire these essential skills to meet the challenges of the economic and social demands of globalization. In view of the high interest of policy-makers and companies investing in these initiatives, a large number of studies that focus on educational technologies have attempted to measure their impact on student attainment and learning. Many authors agree that the evidence currently available is somewhat inconsistent.  Apparently, in certain contexts and in certain disciplines such as language, math and science some students have improved their performance. Nonetheless, results show that there is a close relationship between how educational technologies are used and student attainment.  It is now clear that the impact of technology in education does not come with the mere introduction, sophistication or the amount of educational technologies. Much depends on how teachers use them in their classes.

In order to support an effective teaching with educational technologies, during the last years there has been considerable interest among educators and researchers in using the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, developed by Mishra and Koehler. TPACK describes the essential qualities of the knowledge teachers should have for effective technology integration and considers it a complex, context situated and multifaceted challenge for educators. TPACK highlights the importance of connecting technology, pedagogy and content in teacher professional development.   

Besides, educators around the world have also adopted the teaching for understanding framework developed by researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education  to evaluate and guide a productive use of new technologies to promote deeper learning in all disciplines and develop 21^st century skills.

In an effort to enrich and support effective and thoughtful ICT integration in Latin America that fosters deep learning, this qualitative study builds on the educational frameworks mentioned above, Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the Teaching for Understanding Frameworks to identify the attributes of teacher practices that support effective teaching with educational technologies that foster deep understandingTPACK. It explores the relationship between the characteristics of teacher ICT integration practices and the quality of student disciplinary understanding.

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