Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers to Integrate Computational Thinking in the Curriculum

Computational Thinking (CT) is a critical set of 21st-century skills that young learners must develop to be successful in contemporary work and life. As more K-12 schools begin to integrate CT into the curriculum, Elementary Preservice Teachers (EPSTs) must be prepared to teach CT to their future students. Therefore, elementary teacher preparation programs should explore ways to incorporate CT into their coursework, ensuring that EPSTs graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills to teach CT. This study investigates the impacts of a 3-week CT module implemented in a technology integration course in an elementary teacher preparation program on EPSTs’ CT value beliefs, self-efficacy, and teaching efficacy. The purpose of the module was to introduce EPSTs to basic concepts and big ideas in CT, support their application of CT in block-based coding environments, and promote connection building between CT and authentic real-world scenarios that balance different types of CT activities. Guided by the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (IMPG), this study examined EPSTs’ learning as a dynamic process of change across the personal and external domains. The module was located in the external domain as a stimulus for learning, while the Teacher Beliefs about Coding and Computational Thinking (TBaCCT) instrument was used to assess changes in value beliefs, self-efficacy, and teaching efficacy within the personal domain. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used to analyze pre- and post-surveys administered to 50 EPSTs and semi-structured interviews with four of the EPSTs. The results showed that the beliefs of the CT value of EPSTs evolved and their self-efficacy and teaching efficacy of CT significantly improved after participating in the module, suggesting that the interaction between external learning experiences and internal belief systems—facilitated by reflection and action—contributed to early professional growth. Notably, EPSTs also developed a more accurate understanding of CT, recognized the benefits of both plugged and unplugged CT activities, and expressed a desire for continued CT learning and professional development. Although EPSTs expressed concerns with the scarcity of physical computing toys in schools, they demonstrated a commitment to incorporating CT activities into their teaching and exploring alternative funding avenues to acquire such resources. Practical implications include potential approaches for elementary teacher preparation programs to embed CT into existing curricula.