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Incorporating computational thinking (CT) ideas into core subjects, such as mathematics and science, is one way of bringing early computer science (CS) education into elementary school. Minimal research has explored how teachers can translate their knowledge of CT into practice to create opportunities for their students to engage in CT during their math and science lessons. Such information can support the creation of quality professional development experiences for teachers. We analyzed how eight elementary teachers created opportunities for their students to engage in four CT practices (abstraction, decomposition, debugging, and patterns) during unplugged mathematics and science activities. We identified three strategies used by these teachers to create CT opportunities for their students: framing, prompting, and inviting reflection. Further, we grouped teachers into four profiles of implementation according to how they used these three strategies. We call the four profiles (1) presenting CT as general problem-solving strategies, (2) using CT to structure lessons, (3) highlighting CT through prompting, and (4) using CT to guide teacher planning. We discuss the implications of these results for professional development and student experiences.
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Computational Thinking: Teachers’ Practice of Abstraction
Elementary grade teachers are often not fully prepared to teach a computing-rich curriculum, and the demand of the digital age to integrate Computational Thinking (CT) into their classrooms has put them at a challenge. Under the larger umbrella, abstraction lies at the heart of CT. Abstraction allows moving between various information levels while targeting complex problems and creating rich design solutions. This study focuses on how one pair of elementary-grade teachers collaborated, using abstraction to solve a maze challenge, helping each other move between different layers of information. The videotaped data of one day of teachers' professional development was analyzed through three dimensions of Community of Practice (CoP). Results suggest that through mutual engagement in pursuing a joint enterprise and their shared repertoire, elementary-grade teachers moved their focus between different levels of abstraction simultaneously and effectively.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2331742
- PAR ID:
- 10557843
- Editor(s):
- Lindgren, R; Asino, T I; Kyza, E A; Looi, C K; Keifert, D T; Suárez, E
- Publisher / Repository:
- International Society of the Learning Sciences [ISLS]
- Date Published:
- ISSN:
- 1819-0138
- ISBN:
- 979-8-9906980-0-0
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1826-1829
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- computational thinking teacher learning professional learning abstraction
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Buffalo, NY
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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