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

STEM+Computing Partnership（STEM+C）计划旨在通过跨一个或多个领域的应用研究和开发，推动STEM教学和学习中的多学科计算整合。该项目解决了如何准备本科小学物理科学教师学习计算思维（CT）所涉及的方法，以支持CT到他们的小学STEM教学的整合的挑战。CT在STEM学习中的这种早期整合将为幼儿在形成兴趣和能力时的计算思维提供基础。此外，CT在STEM中的早期整合可能会增加有兴趣参加高中计算机科学课程（从而参与计算机科学职业）的学生的数量和多样性。第一步是改善小学教师接受CT的准备，以增加小学年龄儿童接触的数量和质量。因此，该项目的总体目标是通过将CT战略性地和显著地整合到所有年轻学习者的科学教学中来改变小学教师的实践，从而促进更多和更多样化的公民对计算有知识和兴趣。该项目的调查结果和材料将分发给广大利益攸关方，包括政策制定者、研究人员、教师教育工作者、K-12人员和社区。"什么策略是最有效的，有效地将计算思维融入小学数学教师的科学教学准备经验，以培养和改善所有人对计算机技术的使用学生？“项目小组将设计、实施和测试教学模块，以在副教师的科学方法教学课程中开发CT。此外，一个课外科学教学CT探究小组将被设计，以提高和扩大CT的实习教师和他们的导师教师的理解水平，包括计算机应用如何支持科学教学，以及CT如何是所有小学生的必要科学实践。这个调查小组将由一个具有各种专业知识的跨学科团队领导，包括计算机科学家，科学教育工作者，教育技术专家和基础教育课程的毕业生（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整个课程创新中。由于本研究将采用以设计为基础的方法，资源和措施的设计和测试将周期性地同时进行。该研究计划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，措施和流程。因此，该项目旨在从事探索性的基础研究，为开发一套资源（科学方法经验），工具（将CT纳入本科科学教师教学法教育的框架）和措施（CT理解和CT STEM职业意识评估）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).