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Computational Thinking in Elementary and Secondary Teacher Education

Authors:

Chris Mayfield,

Susanne Hambrusch,

John T. KorbAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), Volume 14, Issue 1

Article No.: 5, Pages 1 - 16

https://doi.org/10.1145/2576872

Published: 01 March 2014 Publication History

Abstract

Computational thinking (CT) is broadly defined as the mental activity for abstracting problems and formulating solutions that can be automated. In an increasingly information-based society, CT is becoming an essential skill for everyone. To ensure that students develop this ability at the K-12 level, it is important to provide teachers with an adequate knowledge about CT and how to incorporate it into their teaching. This article describes a study on designing and introducing computational thinking modules and assessing their impact on preservice teachers’ understanding of CT concepts, as well as their attitude towards computing. Results demonstrate that introducing computational thinking into education courses can effectively influence preservice teachers’ understanding of CT concepts.

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Cited By

Bounou ATselios NKaliampos GLavidas KPapadakis S(2025)Criteria for Evaluating Digital Technology Used to Support Computational Thinking via Inquiry Learning—The Case of Two Educational Software Applications for Mathematics and PhysicsComputers10.3390/computers1403009014:3(90)Online publication date: 4-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14030090
Mumcu FAndic BMaricic MTejera MLavicza Z(2025)Unpacking teachers' value beliefs about computational thinking and programmingJournal of Educational Technology and Online Learning10.31681/jetol.14972848:1(41-63)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1497284
Kim EDinç E(2025)ESL Teachers’ Experiences While Designing Projects with Block-Based Coding: Language Instruction and Computational ThinkingJournal of Educational Technology Systems10.1177/0047239524131265253:3(170-204)Online publication date: 9-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395241312652
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Computational Thinking in Elementary and Secondary Teacher Education
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Model curricula

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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Computing Education

ACM Transactions on Computing Education Volume 14, Issue 1

March 2014

98 pages

EISSN:1946-6226

DOI:10.1145/2600089

Editors:
Robert McCartney
University of Connecticut, USA
,
Josh Tenenberg
University of Washington--Tacoma, USA

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 2014

Accepted: 01 January 2014

Revised: 01 October 2013

Received: 01 April 2013

Published in TOCE Volume 14, Issue 1

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Cited By

Bounou ATselios NKaliampos GLavidas KPapadakis S(2025)Criteria for Evaluating Digital Technology Used to Support Computational Thinking via Inquiry Learning—The Case of Two Educational Software Applications for Mathematics and PhysicsComputers10.3390/computers1403009014:3(90)Online publication date: 4-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14030090
Mumcu FAndic BMaricic MTejera MLavicza Z(2025)Unpacking teachers' value beliefs about computational thinking and programmingJournal of Educational Technology and Online Learning10.31681/jetol.14972848:1(41-63)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1497284
Kim EDinç E(2025)ESL Teachers’ Experiences While Designing Projects with Block-Based Coding: Language Instruction and Computational ThinkingJournal of Educational Technology Systems10.1177/0047239524131265253:3(170-204)Online publication date: 9-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395241312652
Yang W(2025)A Three-Phase Professional Development Approach to Improving Robotics Pedagogical Knowledge and Computational Thinking Attitude of Early Childhood TeachersComputers & Education10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105282(105282)Online publication date: Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105282
Zhang YMohammad Mirzaei AMouza CPollock LGuidry K(2025)Examining computational thinking across disciplines in higher education classrooms: learning outcomes from student-generated artifactsJournal of Computing in Higher Education10.1007/s12528-024-09425-1Online publication date: 26-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-024-09425-1
Zhu SGuo QYang SYang HLi HSun Z(2025)Assessing Chinese middle school students’ computational thinking: an evidence-centered design approachEducational technology research and development10.1007/s11423-025-10475-0Online publication date: 3-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-025-10475-0
Macann VYadav A(2025)Factors influencing elementary teacher’s CT learning and CT integrationEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-024-13259-wOnline publication date: 9-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13259-w
Geng ZZeng BIslam AZhang XHuang J(2025)Validating a measure of computational thinking skills in Chinese kindergartnersEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-024-13100-430:1(881-916)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10639-024-13100-4
Peel ASadler TFriedrichsen P(2025)Learning Computational Thinking Through Unplugged Algorithmic Explanations of Natural SelectionJournal of Research in Science Teaching10.1002/tea.22026Online publication date: 7-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.22026
Zamora PBautista NCarpio J(2024)Reengineering of Student-Teacher Coding Program for Philippine Grade Schools Curriculum: A Literature ReviewJPAIR Multidisciplinary Research10.7719/jpair.v57i1.89757:1(141-149)Online publication date: 31-Jul-2024
https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v57i1.897
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