Infusing Computing Through Professional Development: Shifts in Content Area Teachers’ Understandings of Computational Thinking Integration
Abstract: The purpose of this session is to describe our implementation of a professional development model designed to support middle and secondary content area teachers in integrating computational thinking into their classrooms. Drawing on findings from our mixed methods analysis of interviews, surveys, and teacher-created products, we argue that the professional development supported shifts in teacher understandings of the role of computational thinking in content area classrooms, as well as their abilities to integrate computational thinking into their teaching. We conclude by offering implications for research and policy practices which can increase teacher and student access to computational thinking practices in P-12 schools.
Presider: Ramya Sivaraj, University of Minnesota