Publications and Research

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

Fall 10-15-2024

Abstract

Computational thinking (CT) has gained significant recognition in education in recent years. When considering young children learning CT concepts, it's essential to also assess teachers’ understanding of computational thinking. Therefore, educators in teacher preparation programs must equip candidates with these skills to meet the growing demand for developing students’ digital literacy. This project aimed to understand how to strategically incorporate CT instruction into a teacher education program in the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department. It focuses on assessing preservice teachers' (PSTs) understanding of computational thinking and their ability to design CT-integrated science lesson plans based on their experiences with unplugged CT activities in a science methods course. Participants included two groups of PSTs: one group had learned about CT and its applications, while the other had not. Through triangulation of CT-integrated lesson plans, PST reflections on their integration experiences, and survey responses, we found that while PSTs could describe the main components of CT, they struggled to integrate these components into their lesson plans. This pattern was evident in both groups. Notably, the breadth of knowledge PSTs were expected to acquire in one semester may have caused confusion, even as they expressed confidence in their ability to integrate CT. We believe that a more focused and explicit introduction to the four main components of CT and their application in subject-area instruction during the first semester of the program will enable PSTs to achieve a foundational mastery before they enter methods courses. This approach may facilitate their integration of CT with the new competencies they will acquire in these courses.

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