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As the field of computer science (CS) is gaining increased attention, the need for qualified teachers is rapidly growing. Yet little is still known about the design features, implementation, and outcomes of professional development programs in computing. The purpose of this study is threefold: (a) examine a CS professional development program built around high-quality design features reported in the research literature, (b) investigate the impact of the program on participating teachers’ learning and classroom practice, and (c) identify specific design features that facilitated changes in teacher learning and practice. The study employed a mixed-methods design. Data were collected from multiple sources including, pre and post survey data on teacher knowledge of CS content, pedagogy, and technology (N = 94), as well as interviews and classroom implementation data from eight case study participants. Findings from this work indicated that participants reported improvements in their knowledge of CS content, pedagogy, and technology. They also applied new learning into their practice, though implementation varied among participants. Responding on the value of the professional development design features, teachers noted the importance of focusing on CS content knowledge as well as opportunities to engage with pedagogical practices for teaching computing. Findings also indicated the important role of contextualized follow-up classroom support in the implementation of new learning into practice. These findings have implications for the design of professional development programs grounded in best practices with the potential to support broad efforts intended to prepare teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver CS education.
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CONNECTING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DESIGN FEATURES TO TEACHER LEARNING: A LONGITUDINAL CASE STUDY
Abstract This paper examines a professional learning (PL) context to understand what one teacher took up and learned and how this impacted her classroom instruction five years after participating in a specified professional learning (PL) program. Understanding teachers’ perceptions about specific design features of a program that they believe impacted their learning brings an important new voice to PL literature. Findings show that the teacher’s learning of targeted content and pedagogical strategies was consonant with the PL program’s goals and intentions. We highlight five assertions that connect PL design features to teacher learning in four categories - content, pedagogy, resources, and collaboration. Our study provides more granular evidence about the design elements of high-quality PL and contributes new understandings about the connections between PL design features and teacher uptake related to the following: aligned beliefs about teaching and learning, a knowledgeable facilitator, bounded routines, representations, and a community of learners to anchor learning from PL. This study shines light on the necessity of studying teacher learning from PL over time in an intentional and in-depth manner, as it takes time for teachers to incorporate new ideas into their teaching practice and make observable changes. More research is needed to continue the study of how and why PL design elements impact teachers’ experiences for corroboration and extending of assertions and theories about teacher professional learning.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2106101
- PAR ID:
- 10525518
- Publisher / Repository:
- ICERI
- Date Published:
- Volume:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2340-1095
- ISBN:
- 978-84-09-55942-8
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1173 to 1177
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- mathematics education professional development professional learning
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Seville, Spain
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2023.0392
