Exploring Future Teachers’ CT Learning with Scratch and Their Attitudes Toward Teaching with Similar Tools.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Tools and Tasks: Reimagining STEM Teaching Through Technology, Equity, and Teacher Insight

Abstract

The challenge of preparing K – 12 students for twenty-first century careers lies largely in the hands of their teachers. As industries become increasingly technology-centered, they will seek employees who can adapt to these technology-infused environments. Therefore, equipping teachers to introduce students to coding may serve as a springboard for practical career preparation. This research integrates block-based coding challenges with undergraduate teaching courses. We report on a tool for analyzing student learning in Scratch. We also align these quantitative performance measures with qualitative data from an attitudinal survey and reflections written after each learning unit. Analyses show that students learned from the Scratch lessons. Activities also impacted their attitudes toward integrating similar tools in their own teaching.

Authors

• Whitney E. Wall Bortz, Fresno Pacific University

• Tianying Feng, University of California - Los Angeles

• Gregory K.W.K. Chung, University of California - Los Angeles