Computing in Elementary School: An Exploration of Computational Thinking Approaches and Concepts Across Disciplines

计算在科学、技术、工程、数学(STEM)学科中的强大创新和应用增加了对学生从低年级到高中的现实世界、跨学科和计算准备的需求。这种跨学科的教学和学习必须在了解小学教师及其学生的需求和能力的情况下发展，并在小学课程中适当地结合年级。这项探索性研究将研究K-5小学教师的情况，以及他们如何让学生参与计算思维，并将与计算和计算思维相关的概念应用于他们的STEM内容教学，以便实施工作是可行的。通过更好地了解计算思维概念和方法如何真正融入数学、科学和其他学科，政策制定者和地区领导人将被告知如何有目的地支持教师和学生发展他们的核心技能，为STEM教与学中的计算应用提供坚实的基础。研究的成果将包括更好地理解整个K-5课程的计算思维概念和方法，以便为未来的实施工作提供信息；提高K-5教师对计算思维定义的认识，使教师更准备在实践中应用计算；以及向K-5教师的专业发展需求提供信息。研究结果将支持建立在证据和最佳实践基础上的小学STEM教育的计算整合。该项目被提交给DRK12-STEM+C DCL(17-149)，并得到STEM+C计划的支持，该计划专注于研究和开发跨学科和跨学科的方法，以整合科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教与学，为K-12学前班学生在正式和非正式环境下进行教与学。STEM+C支持学生如何学习计算思维来解决STEM领域的跨学科问题的研究。通过融合的并行混合方法设计，调查数据将与基于设计的实施研究(DBIR)活动人工制品同时收集并合并(1)提供计算思维(CT)概念和方法目前如何在小学课堂上讨论的整体图景，(2)确定计算程序中新的CT概念和方法与已应用于科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的概念和方法之间的关系。从业者将参与研究过程，并将通过一系列价值图谱活动帮助引导探索性研究。教师调查数据的多重相关系数(R)和HLM统计分析将解释当前小学课堂上何时何地出现了计算机辅助教学的概念和方法。通过包括来自STEM+C领域的教育工作者和研究人员，以及包括来自城市、农村和郊区的学校，该项目将探索什么是有效的，对谁有效。由于该项目关注的是支持和维持系统变化，项目的长期可持续性目标将受益于通过过去20年来成熟的NSF本地系统变化赠款开发的基础设施。该大学与12个地方学区之间的关系以及沟通机制将是该项目可持续性的一个关键因素。研究和活动将导致传播跨学科计算的多媒体模型。该模型将为开发和实施教学计算作为STEM的一个不可或缺的嵌入式组件的进一步研究提供信息。该奖项反映了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。

The powerful innovation and application of computing in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines has increased the need for real-world, interdisciplinary, and computational preparation of students from the early grades through high school. Such interdisciplinary teaching and learning must be developed with the understanding of the needs and capacity of elementary school teachers and their students, and appropriate grade-specific integration in the elementary curriculum. This exploratory research will study the landscape of K-5 elementary teachers and how they engage students in computational thinking, and apply concepts associated with computing and computational thinking in their teaching of STEM content so implementation efforts are viable. By better understanding how computational thinking concepts and approaches integrate authentically into math, science and other subjects, policymakers and district leaders will be informed of how to intentionally support teachers and students to develop their core skills that will provide a strong foundation for computing applications in STEM teaching and learning. Outcomes of the research will include a better understanding of computational thinking concepts and approaches across the K-5 curriculum to inform future implementation efforts; increased awareness of computational thinking definitions for K-5 teachers so teachers are more prepared to apply computing in their practice; and inform the professional development needs of K-5 teachers. Findings will support computational integration in STEM education in elementary school built on evidence and best practices. This project was submitted to the DRK12-STEM+C DCL (17-149) and is supported by the STEM+C Program that focuses on research and development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to the integration of computing within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning for preK-12 students in both formal and informal settings. STEM+C supports research on how students learn to think computationally to solve interdisciplinary problems in the STEM fields.Through a convergent parallel mixed methods design, survey data will be collected concurrently with Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) activity artifacts and merged (1) to provide a holistic picture of how computational thinking (CT) concepts and approaches are currently being addressed in elementary classrooms and (2) to identify how new CT concepts and approaches in computing programs relate to those already applied in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Practitioners will engage in the process of research and will help to steer the exploratory study through a series of value mapping activities. Multiple correlation coefficient (R) and HLM statistical analysis of teacher survey data will explain where and when CT concepts and approaches are present in the current elementary classroom. By including educators and researchers from across the STEM+C fields, as well as including schools from urban, rural, and suburban areas, the project will explore what works and for whom. As the project is concerned with supporting and sustaining systemic change, the project's long-term sustainability goals will benefit from the infrastructure developed through an NSF Local Systemic Change grant that has matured over the past 20 years. The relationships between the University and 12 local school districts, as well as mechanisms for communication will be a key factor in the sustainability of the project. The research and activities will result in the dissemination of a multimedia model for interdisciplinary computing. The model will inform further research on the development and implementation of teaching computing as an integral, embedded component of STEM.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.