CS Concepts and Contextual Factors in Integrated Computing Activities in U.S. Schools

Integrated computing uses computing tools and concepts to support learning in other disciplines while giving all students opportunities to experience computer science. Integrated computing is often motivated as a way to introduce computing to students in a low-stakes environment, reducing barriers to learning computer science, often especially for underrepresented groups. This study explored integrated computing activities implemented in US schools to examine which programming and CT concepts they teach and whether those concepts differed across contexts. We gathered data on 262 integrated computing activities from in-service K-12 teachers and 20 contextual factors related to the classroom, the teacher, and the school. Our analysis revealed that programming and CT concepts were inversely related to five contextual factors, such that factors predicting more CT concepts also predicted fewer programming concepts. These factors reflected school resources, such that wealthier schools used activities with more CT concepts and fewer programming concepts. In addition, factors related to underrepresented groups often related to fewer concepts being taught in activities. School racial composition was the only factor of the 20 that had a relationship with both types of concepts in the same direction-students from underrepresented groups used activities with fewer CT and programming concepts. Our findings suggest that, although integrated computing can potentially introduce computing to a broader audience, we must evaluate what these activities are teaching and to whom. Another primary contribution of this work is an open-access dataset about integrated computing activities, the concepts that they teach, and the contextual factors around their use.