Search for: All records

There has been a growing interest in teaching computer science (CS) concepts to students at a younger age. Increasingly, block-based programming has been used in place of traditional text-based programming languages, like Python, in K-12 education. However, little empirical research has been conducted to compare the combination of the former and physical computing with the latter. This study aimed to address this gap by comparing the attitudes and perceptions of elementary school students in the two approaches in a six-week afterschool program. The findings from the experiment indicated that students’ attitudes and perceptions toward computing were more positive when using physical computing. These findings suggest potential pedagogical implications and future research directions. 

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. 

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. 

This work examines the application of high-quality pedagogical practices in the design and implementation of an after-school physical computing program aimed at providing middle school students with access to computer science (CS) education. It subsequently examines how the program influenced students’ learning of CS concepts and attitudes towards computing. The program was designed and implemented through a school-university partnership, and 66 middle school students voluntarily participated. There were two cohorts of students in the study. Results indicate that the program had a positive impact on students’ understanding of CS concepts, and a significant impact on attitudes towards computing was seen among those in the second cohort. Implications are drawn for the design of informal after-school programs aimed at broadening participation in computing. 

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. 

Elementary schools provide a natural entry point to computer science (CS) education, yet elementary teachers spend most of their instructional time in literacy and math. One way to bring CS in elementary schools is through integrated approaches. In this work we present a professional development (PD) program that helps elementary teachers integrate CS with content and culturally relevant pedagogy to create accessible CS instruction. Qualitative data were collected from five teachers who attended the year-long program. Findings indicate that all teachers fully integrated CS with content and culturally-relevant pedagogy; however, such integration focused mostly on literacy and closely paralleled what was presented in PD. Implications are drawn regarding the design of PD programs that help teachers integrate CS in elementary classrooms. 

Female and racially minoritized groups continue to be underrepresented in computer science (CS) and STEM careers, despite ongoing efforts to diversify the field. One way to promote the success of minoritized students in CS education is to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) into CS curriculum and instruction. This work explores the ways that teachers integrated CRP in their lesson plans after participating in CRP-focused professional development (PD) sessions delivered during a week-long PD aimed at improving and diversifying CS education. Our analysis of the lesson plans reveals that teachers integrated CRP at levels ranging from superficial to foundational. At the superficial level, teachers treated CRP as an “add-on” strategy with minimal relevance to the lesson content. At the foundational level, CRP was central to student mastery of core content learning. This work contributes to our understanding about how teachers approach the concept of relevance when integrating CRP in CS education. Findings have implications for approaches to PD design that support teachers in integrating CRP in CS education, as well as other STEM classrooms. 

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. 

The need to expand computer science learning for all students has led to an increase in professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, necessitated changes in well-established PD programs and a shift to virtual delivery. In this work, we describe our transition to a virtual PD institute, including the topics and design principles guiding the institute. We also examine how participation in the virtual PD institute infuenced teacher outcomes. Data were collected from two cohorts of teachers. Data sources included surveys (N=30), lesson plans (N=22), and interviews (N=17) from a purposeful sample of participants. Findings gleaned from quantitative and qualitative analysis suggest an increase in teachers’ knowledge and self-efcacy while highlighting the afordances of virtual PD most valued by teachers. Findings have implications for research and practice.