Elementary Preservice Teachers and Computer Science Problems of Practice

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Using Simulations to Broaden Participation in Computer Science Through K–12 Teacher Education

Abstract

Objectives or purposes: Most U.S states have implemented CS education standards, but elementary teachers are not prepared to teach CS (Leftwich & Biggers, 2017). One report recommended that teacher preparation institutions need to develop models to prepare CS teachers (DeLyser et al., 2018), but to date few pre-service teachers have background experiences with CS (Ozogul, Karlin, & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2018). We lack models to educate pre-service teachers to teach CS. We need to prepare pre-service teachers to address elementary CS problems of practice or challenging interaction(s) they may encounter (Hillaire et al., 2020). In this work, we address two research questions: (1) How do pre-service teachers respond in an online case-based learning (CBL) K-8 CS simulation when confronted with problems of practice?, and (2) What additional supports do pre-service teachers need to confront CS problems of practice?

Theoretical framework: With increased requirements for K-8 teachers to teach CS (Leftwich & Biggers, 2017), pre-service teachers need opportunities to develop their practices around teaching CS. Many teacher education programs use CBL. CBL has been utilized in teacher education to develop pre-service teachers’ practices (Kim & Hannafin, 2008), allowing them to reflect on realistic situations, turning their ideas into practices (Kim & Hannafin, 2008). This study investigated how pre-service teachers experienced a K-8 CS online CLB experience.

Methods: This study was implemented in spring 2020, face-to-face. The cases were implemented in a required pre-service educational technology course. A total of 96 pre-service teachers completed the case simulations for homework and responded to a brief reflection question before class. During class, pre-service teachers engaged in discussions around what they noticed and how they intervened. These simulations were completed after two weeks of CS curriculum and before they taught CS in local 6th grade classrooms.

Data sources: We used an online system called Teacher Moments as a simulation resource that provided low-stakes opportunities to have discussions around and deepen teachers’ practices (Sullivan et al., 2020). Pre-service teachers participated in three simulations focused on elementary CS education: (1) teaching CS in elementary classrooms, (2) differentiating learning CS in elementary classrooms, and (3) importance of teaching CS as an elementary topic. For each case, pre-service teachers were given context and asked to make choices; then, they reflected on their responses and prepared for in-class discussion (see shorturl.at/fwMS0 for a screenshot).

Results: Preliminary results indicated that pre-service teachers were able to consider multiple perspectives when confronted with problems of practice in an online case-based K-8 CS classroom simulation. In general, pre-service teachers tended to focus on technical issues, issues surrounding their lack of content knowledge with CS, or issues with pedagogical problems.

Scientific significance: This study addresses the need to train pre-service teachers for K-12 CS classrooms by identifying the critical dimensions of such training. Pre-service teachers demonstrated a lack of self-efficacy due to a lack of technical proficiency, CS content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. Future pre-service teacher training should address the development of their self-efficacy and enable them to confront CS problems of practice.

Authors

• Anne Leftwich, Indiana University

• Hao Chen