Exploring the Integration of Computational Thinking into Preservice Elementary Science Teacher Education

STEM+计算伙伴关系（STEM+C）计划旨在通过跨一个或多个领域的应用研究和开发，推进STEM教学和学习中计算的多学科整合。本项目解决了如何培养本科小学职前科学教师学习计算思维（CT）方法的挑战，以支持将CT整合到他们的小学STEM教学中。这种早期将CT与STEM学习相结合，将为幼儿在兴趣和能力形成时提供计算思维所需的基础。此外，早期将计算机科学与STEM相结合可能会增加对高中计算机科学课程（从而对计算机科学职业感兴趣）的学生的数量和多样性。第一步是提高小学教师对CT的准备，提高小学学龄儿童接触CT的数量和质量。因此，该项目的总体目标是通过将计算机辅助教学策略性地和显著地融入所有年轻学习者的科学教学，从而改变小学教师的实践，从而促进更多、更多样化的公民对计算机知识和兴趣。该项目的研究结果和材料将传播给广泛的利益相关者群体，包括政策制定者、研究人员、教师、教育工作者、K-12教育人员和社区。这个项目将解决一个基本问题，“为了培养和改善所有学生的CT使用，什么策略最有效地将计算思维有效地整合到小学职前教师的科学教学准备经验中？”项目团队将设计、实施和测试在职前教师科学方法教学课程中开发CT的教学模块。此外，将设计一个课外科学教学CT探究小组，以提高和拓宽实习教师及其导师对CT的理解水平，包括计算机应用如何支持科学教学，以及CT如何成为所有小学年龄学生的必要科学实践。该调查小组将由一个跨学科团队领导，该团队拥有各种专业知识，包括计算机科学家，科学教育家，教育技术专家和基础教育计划的毕业生（在项目的第二年）。如何向年轻学习者传达CT对STEM职业意识和准备的整体性质的指导将包括在课程创新中。由于本研究将采用基于设计的方法，资源和措施的设计和测试将循环地同时进行。该研究项目将使用严格的混合方法研究方法来收集定性和定量数据，这些数据将被三角化，以开发和分析资源、措施和过程。因此，本项目旨在开展探索性的基础研究，为开发一套资源（科学方法经验）、工具（将CT整合到本科科学教师教育学教育中的框架）和措施（评估CT理解和CT STEM职业意识）提供实证支持。

The STEM+Computing Partnership (STEM+C) program seeks to advance multidisciplinary integration of computing in STEM teaching and learning through applied research and development across one or more domains. This project addresses the challenge of how to prepare undergraduate elementary preservice science teachers to learn methods involved in computational thinking (CT) in order to support integration of CT into their elementary STEM instruction. Such early integration of CT in STEM learning will provide the foundation that young children need in computational thinking when their interests and competencies are being formed. Additionally, early integration of CT in STEM may increase the number and diversity of students interested in enrolling in high school computer science courses (and thus in computer science careers). The first step is to improve the preparation that elementary teachers receive about CT to increase both the quantity and quality of exposure for elementary-aged children. The overall goal of this project, therefore, is to transform elementary school teacher practice by integrating CT strategically and significantly into science instruction for all young learners, thereby promoting a more numerous and more diverse citizenry that is knowledgeable and interested in computing. Findings and materials from this project will be disseminated to a broad group of stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, teacher educators, and K-12 personnel and community.This project will address the fundamental question, "What strategies are most effective in integrating computational thinking effectively into elementary preservice teachers' pedagogical preparation experiences in science in order to cultivate and improve access to CT for all students?" The project team will design, implement, and test pedagogical modules for developing CT in a preservice teachers' science methods pedagogical course. Further, an extracurricular Science Teaching CT Inquiry Group will be designed to enhance and broaden the level of understanding of CT for both teacher interns and their mentor teachers, including how computer applications support the teaching of science and how CT is a necessary science practice for all elementary-aged students. This inquiry group will be led by an interdisciplinary team with a variety of expertise, including computer scientists, science educators, educational technologists, and graduates of the elementary education program (during the 2nd year of the project). Instruction in how to convey to young learners the integral nature of CT for STEM career awareness and readiness will be included throughout the curriculum innovation. Because this study will use a design-based methodology, design and testing of the resources and measures will be conducted cyclically and concurrently. This program of research will use a rigorous mixed methods research approach to collect both qualitative and quantitative data that will be triangulated to develop and analyze resources, measures, and processes. As such, this project seeks to engage in exploratory, basic research to provide empirical support in developing a set of resources (science methods experiences), tools (a framework for integrating CT in undergraduate science teacher pedagogy education), and measures (assessments for CT understanding and CT STEM career awareness).