Teaching Science with Computational Thinking: Preparing Preservice Elementary Educators of the Future STEM Workforce

该项目旨在通过在初级职前教师的科学方法、课程和实地安置经验中注入批判性计算思维观点，服务于改善初级科学教学的国家利益。计算思维是一种使用计算机科学概念来理解和解决复杂问题的方法。尽管计算思维的重要性与日俱增，但正如国家标准和倡议所反映的那样，没有一名准备教授计算思维的职前教师从西弗吉尼亚州的教师教育计划毕业，全国的情况也同样具有挑战性。在大多数情况下，只关注计算机科学并没有提供与学科课堂设置和学生环境的明确联系，错过了让职前教师认识到计算思维可能在未来课堂上意味着什么的重要机会。如果不对教师教育进行系统性的改革，职前教师很可能对科学的计算本质缺乏充分的理解和兴趣。因此，职前教师在为学生提供重要的知识和技能方面将受到限制，这些知识和技能是参与未来劳动力市场所必需的。为了解决这个问题，这个项目的目的是在科学方法课程中开发和实施一个灌输计算思维的课程。该项目打算在小学教师所在的学校共同设计和试点科学课程。该项目的研究议程旨在调查这些努力对职前教师教学的影响。到项目结束时，参与的职前教师应该了解、实践和教授充满批判性计算思维的科学课程。项目活动预计将产生一个模型和一套资源，可以在全国范围内的教师教育中进行测试和使用，以培养职前教师的计算思维增强的STEM学习和教学。该项目的总体目标是帮助职前教师培养兴趣、能力和对将批判性计算思维融入他们的科学教学实践的实用价值的积极认识。项目研究问题集中于测量这些结构，并确定计算思维实践和过程，这些实践和过程体现在教师在一段时间内的教学努力中。西弗吉尼亚大学初等教育文学士课程的大约100名职前教师计划参加为期两年的科学方法课程。职前教师的目标是有机会练习、设计和教授将计算思维过程和实践与5E教学模式相结合的情景科学课程单元，5E教学模式是一种广泛接受的建构主义、基于探究的科学教学模式。项目研究旨在确定计算思维灌输活动对职前教师动机和教学的影响。然后，该项目打算在全职职前教师安置体验期间采用研究-实践者伙伴关系的观点。选定的职前教师将参与迭代共同设计，与来自当地教育界的多个利益相关者一起，在安置教室中试验和测试注入计算思维的科学课程单元。通过传播项目活动、关于如何将批判性计算思维镜头与5E模式相结合的研究成果和开发的材料，该项目不仅旨在帮助职前教师理解和感兴趣科学教学的计算本质，而且可能使全国的教师教育工作者和在职教师认识到它与教育学、内容和背景的相关性，有助于学生为未来的STEM劳动力做准备。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与式学生学习路径，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具。部分资金来自罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金计划。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest of improving science teaching at the elementary level by infusing a critical computational thinking perspective into the science methods courses and field placement experiences of elementary level preservice teachers. Computational thinking is a means to understand and solve complex problems using computer science concepts. Despite its increasing importance, as reflected in national standards and initiatives, no single preservice teacher prepared to teach computational thinking has graduated from the teacher education programs in West Virginia, and the situation nationally is similarly challenging. Most often, a sole focus on computer science provides no explicit connection to disciplinary classroom settings and student context, missing important opportunities for preservice teachers to recognize what computational thinking may mean in their future classrooms. Without systemic changes in teacher education, preservice teachers are likely to develop insufficient levels of understanding of and interest in the computational nature of science. Consequently, preservice teacheers will be limited in providing their students with important knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the workforce of the future. To address the issue, this project aims to develop and implement a computational thinking-infused curriculum in science methods courses. The project intends to co-design and pilot science lessons in schools where elementary preservice teachers are placed. The research agenda of the project is designed to investigate the impact of the efforts on the teaching of preservice teachers. By the end of the project, the participating preservice teachers are expected to know, practice, and teach critical computation thinking-infused science lessons. Project activities are anticipated to result in a model and a set of resources that can be tested and used in teacher education nationwide to cultivate preservice teachers’ computational thinking-enhanced STEM learning and teaching.The overarching goal of the project is to help preservice teachers develop interest, competence, and a positive perception of the utility value for incorporating critical computational thinking into their science instructional practices. Project research questions focus on measuring these constructs and identifying computational thinking practices and processes exemplified in preservice teachers’ teaching efforts over time. Approximately 100 preservice teachers, enrolled in science methods courses in the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education Program of West Virginia University are intended to participate over two years. Preservice teachers are intended to have the opportunity to practice, design, and teach contextualized science lesson units that integrate both computational thinking processes and practices with the 5E Instructional Model, a widely accepted constructivist, inquiry-based instructional model for teaching science. Project research aims to determine the impact of computational thinking-infused activities on preservice teachers’ motivations and teaching. Then the project intends to employ a research-practitioner partnership perspective during full-time preservice teacher placement experiences. Selected preservice teachers are to be involved in iteratively co-designing, with multiple stakeholders from the local education community, piloting, and testing computational thinking-infused science lesson units in placement classrooms. Through the dissemination of project activities, research outcomes regarding how to integrate a critical computational thinking lens with the 5E Model, and developed materials, this project intends not only to help develop preservice teachers’ understanding of and interest in the computational nature of science teaching but also likely enable teacher educators and in-service teachers nationwide to recognize its relevance to pedagogy, content, and context, contributing to students’ preparation toward future STEM workforce. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. Partial funding is from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship 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.