Teachers’ Development of Computational Thinking (CT) Skills and TPACK from Three Visual Programming Platforms

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 9:45am
  In Poster Session: AERA Division K Section 6 In-Service Educators - Poster Session 2

Abstract

Visual programming (VP) provides an intuitive and accessible platform for integrating computational thinking (CT) into K-12 education. However, effective implementation of CT often requires additional support and professional development for teachers without a computer science (CS) background. This study examined 1) changes of in-service teachers’ CT skills exhibited through their programming projects developed on three visual programming platforms (tablet, computer, and robotics); 2) the relationship between their TPACK and CT skills. Analysis of the artifacts (programming projects and lesson plans) produced in the course showed that teachers demonstrated varying levels of CT skills across platforms, performing highest on Scratch. While coding concept understanding did not correlate strongly with program design, CT skills showed a significant positive association with TPACK scores.

Authors

• Youjung Jung, Northern Illinois University

• Ying Xie, Northern Illinois University