Building a Pathway for CS Principles Teachers: A Two-course Sequence for Secondary Education Mathematics Pre-service Teachers

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The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa proposes to develop a new model for preparing preservice teachers to realize the CSforAll goal of scaling computer science (CS) education to tens of thousands of schools. The project will expand an existing research-practitioner partnership (RPP) to support preservice Secondary Mathematics (SEMA) students with coursework that will prepare them to offer AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) at their future school. Many current Professional Development (PD) efforts for CS education focus on existing in-service teachers, but the future growth will also need to consider the preparation of preservice Education majors who will develop content and pedagogical CS knowledge through exposure to CSP topics. The proposed work advances a course sequence and associated activities that form a pathway for preservice educators who do not have deep pre-existing CS content knowledge. The sequence includes an existing CSP course currently taken by all SEMA students, and a new, second course for those students with an interest in teaching CSP in addition to mathematics. This second course will introduce students to topics related to equity in CS education, overview various K-12 CS standards (including the newly developed Alabama K-12 CS standards), explore connections to mathematics with computational thinking practices and CS content knowledge, consider various nuances of Advanced Placement (AP) CSP curricula endorsed by the College Board, and establish a deeper understanding of the AP CSP Big Ideas and Learning Objectives. Students will also participate in a teaching practicum and serve as student teachers at the local high schools of RPP members. They will also have the opportunity to attend a College Board CSP AP Summer Institute and a conference focused on CS education. The courses will be externally evaluated. In addition, the researchers and practitioners within the RPP will develop and explore a set of research questions related to the interest and self-efficacy of SEMA students as they prepare to become CSP teachers. These new teachers will be the catalyst for broadening the participation of computing at high schools that heretofore have not established a CS course.