Leveraging Computational Thinking to Increase Computer Science within Elementary Classrooms

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While the prevalence of high schools offering computer science is growing nationally and specifically in South Dakota, many schools are struggling with course enrollment. Disproportionally low numbers of female students are choosing to enroll, and both female students and American Indian students are arriving at high school with less positive attitudes towards computer science (CS) than their male and non-American Indian peers. Therefore there is a need to begin CS instruction earlier, to allow students to build on their experiences as they progress to higher grade levels. Exposure to computational thinking (CT) and computer science at elementary grades will prepare and inspire students to engage with more sophisticated CT/CS in middle and high school. While there has been some research in this area in the past, there exists a need for the development of effective implementation of CT/CS processes for elementary teachers in a rural context where resources are sparse and access to training is limited. This project is a Research Practice Partnership between Black Hills State University, Technology and Innovation in Education, Sanford University Research Facility, and 17 schools across South Dakota. The project supports 4th and 5th grade teachers in providing engaging CS/CT experiences for all students and does so within the context of their math and science instruction. The project introduces computational thinking within elementary math and science, where the investigators have identified the leveraging of CT within math and science as a strategic way of increasing student exposure to computer science in elementary grades. Through the structure of a researcher-practitioner partnership, this project will address two fundamental questions: 1) What strategies are most effective in integrating computational thinking and computer science into elementary teachers' practice; and 2) To what degree are students benefitting from exposure to CT and CS in the elementary grades? The project will seek to answer these questions - and others that emerge through the RPP - by working in close collaboration with teachers in rural and otherwise high-need schools across their region, including numerous partner districts from the investigators’ recent project with high schools and high school teachers. The investigators will use data from surveys, interviews, classroom observations, and pre- and post- tests. The research will pay special attention to differences in student experiences and outcomes across race and gender. The research will also test project components with an audience of pre-service teachers in their final year of teacher preparation. The project will document and make available on its website: curated, developed and tested curriculum components; a model for integrating CS into existing curriculum at the elementary level; professional development resources; and papers written for researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. This project is funded by the CS for All: Research and RPPs program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.