A Three-Phase Approach to Improving Robotics Pedagogical Knowledge and Computational Thinking Attitude of Kindergarten Teachers

• In Event: Explorations of Early Childhood Education in Teacher Education

Abstract

To empower early childhood teachers in the digital society, this study introduced Hong Kong kindergarten teachers to robot programming and computational thinking (CT) through the ‘CT4ECE’ professional development program, which includes three phases: Learn, Practice, and Reflect & Improve. Results of pre- and post-intervention surveys revealed that the CT4ECE program significantly enhanced teachers’ robotics and pedagogical knowledge, as well as their attitudes towards CT, especially their interest in CT and their view of using CT in their classroom practice. Post-intervention interviews highlighted the need for additional advanced training, increased training frequency, experience sharing, hands-on experiences, and instructional videos. These findings further inspire the enhancement of the three-phase approach into an iterative three-phase approach to digital empowerment among early childhood teachers.

Author

• Weipeng Yang, The Education University of Hong Kong