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1. The design of integrated computer science instruction in the context of teacher professional development

   Mead, H; Nolte, A; Mouza, C; Rolon-Dow, R; Pollock, L (April 2024, Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association)

   In this work, we present a professional development (PD) program thatseeks to support elementary teachers as they integrate computer science (CS) with disciplinary content and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to create inclusive environments that engage all students with computing. Using semi-structured interviews with 17 participants, we subsequently examine the content, technology tools, and CRP strategies that teachers perceived as represented in lessons designed during their participation in PD. Findings indicated that teachers integrated CS tools primarily with literacy and utilized CRP strategies commonly cited as instructional best practices (e.g., differentiation). Results have implications for future PD as well as research that seeks to support teacher learning about CS-integrated instruction. 

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2. Integrating Computational Thinking Within and Across Disciplines in the Context of Teacher Professional Development

   Nolte, A.; Mead, H.; Mouza, C.; Rolon-Dow, R; Pollock, L. (January 2023, Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference)

   Teachers’ lack of computer science (CS) content knowledge and limited opportunities to incorporate CS in existing curricula pose unique challenges at the elementary level. Despite the crucial role of professional development (PD) in preparing elementary school teachers to integrate CS in classroom instruction, there is little research documenting PD programs that focus on integration in literacy and mathematics when compared to other subject areas. In this work, we present a PD program that integrates CS with disciplinary content to support teachers as they integrate CS with literacy and mathematics in elementary school classrooms. Using data from multiple sources, we present findings from two case studies to examine the impact of the PD on teachers’ integration of CS with content in lesson planning and implementation. Findings have implications related to the integration of CS in elementary school and teacher professional development. 

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3. Lessons in adaptation: A five-year design analysis of culturally responsive computer science PD for elementary teachers

   Mathayas, N; Nolte, A; Mead, H; Mouza, C; Pollock, L; Rolon-Dow, R; Alkhateeb, B; Ospina-Tabares, S (March 2025, Society of Information Technology and Teacher Education)

   This study examines the evolution of a professional development (PD) program over a 5-year period designed to enhance computer science (CS) education in elementary schools. Despite growing emphasis on CS in K-12 education, elementary teachers often lack resources and training. Our project addressed this gap by offering an annual summer PD Institute (2020 to 2024), aimed to equip K-5 teachers with content and pedagogical knowledge needed to integrate CS into their curriculum. The overarching intention of the program is to increase CS opportunities in elementary schools, with a focus on engaging female students and those from underrepresented backgrounds. Utilizing the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), the PD design was iteratively refined based on teacher feedback and artifact analysis. We conducted a retrospective, qualitative analysis to identify core PD characteristics and their evolution. Our findings reveal how PD content evolved across dimensions of the TPACK framework, with the fifth year achieving a balanced distribution of components. This study contributes to understanding effective design principles for elementary CS teacher PD and highlights the importance of researcher-teacher partnerships in building a community of elementary CS educators. 

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4. The role of student characterization in teachers’ approaches to culturally responsive computer science instruction

   Nolte, A; Rolon-Dow, R; Mouza, C; Pollock, L (April 2024, Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association)

   Despite growth in computer science (CS) education, females and racially minoritized populations remain underrepresented in the field. Integrating culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in CS education is critical to reducing these disparities. In this work, we investigate how teachers employ student characterizations to support their approaches to CS and CRP integration following participation in professional development (PD) designed to support the integration of CS and CRP in content area instruction. Qualitative interview data were collected from 15 elementary teachers who attended the PD. Findings indicate that teachers referenced academic and demographic student characteristics to support their stances toward CS and CRP integration. Implications are drawn regarding the design of PD programs that help elementary teachers consider student identities when designing culturally responsive CS instruction. 

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5. Data Fusion Insights on Indigenous-Serving Teachers’ Implementation of Culturally Responsive Computing

   https://doi.org/10.70725/759223rdbocc  

   Yan, Wei; Parekh, Priyanka; Amresh, Ashish; Prescott, Paige (January 2025, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education)

   Indigenous communities remain among the most underrepresented groups in computing and STEM fields, facing systemic barriers to equitable participation in computer science (CS) education. This study examines how Indigenous-serving teachers, through a sustained professional development (PD) program, design and implement culturally responsive computing (CRC) curricula in Indigenous-serving schools. Guided by the research question: How does sustained CS professional development inform the design of culturally responsive computing curricula by experienced CS teachers in Indigenous-serving schools? We employed a natural language processing (NLP) data fusion approach that integrates text mining and qualitative thematic analysis to investigate how teachers incorporate Indigenous knowledge into computing instruction. Our findings reveal three emergent themes in teacher learning and lesson design: Creating opportunities to access culture through computation, Leveraging Research and Critical Thinking Skills to Critically Engage Students with Computing, and Reflection, refinement, and professional growth through ongoing collaboration. These themes underscore the impact of CRC on bridging cultural traditions with computing, fostering engagement, and enhancing Indigenous students’ sense of belonging in CS. By supporting teachers in developing culturally relevant lessons that integrate storytelling, traditional arts, and computational thinking, this research contributes to the broader discourse on inclusive CS education. This study informs future efforts to expand Indigenous student participation in computing by highlighting the role of culturally sustaining pedagogy in professional development and curriculum design. 

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