Elementary teachers’ experiences in online professional development for literacy-focused computer science instruction for all learners

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground & Context This research focused on an online professional development (PD), the Inclusive Computer Science Model of PD, to support integrating computer science and computational thinking for all learners into K-5 literacy instruction.Objective This research was conducted to understand elementary teachers’ perceptions of the PD.Method We used a qualitative case study methodology to collect multiple sources of perception-focused data from 10 purposefully selected participants in the PD and used a general inductive approach to data analysis.Findings Three themes emerged that focus on teachers’ perceptions, with multiple considerations for how teachers viewed the concept of computer science, the potential for students with disabilities to participate in computer science instruction, and how they considered UDL in this instructionImplications Findings have implications for the potential of computer science integration into elementary literacy instruction and how teachers may independently use computer science instruction that supports all learners in their future teaching.KEYWORDS: Computer sciencecomputational thinkingliteracyelementary instructionprofessional development Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Award 1837380.