Developing Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Computational Modeling Skills

This study investigated the effects of a computational modeling-based instructional program on pre-service science teachers’ perceptions of their computational thinking self-efficacy, their levels of technological pedagogical content knowledge, their views on the use of ICT in schools, and their computational modeling skills. Adopting an exploratory mixed-methods design, the research was conducted with 30 pre-service science teachers enrolled in a public university in Turkey during the 2023–2024 spring semester. Quantitative data were collected using the 21st-century skills-oriented TPACK scale, the ICT Competency Perception Scale for Preservice Teachers, and the Self-Efficacy Perception Scale for Computational Thinking Skill, while qualitative data were obtained through structured interviews, student notebooks, and Google Colab project notebooks. Statistical analyses revealed significant improvements in participants’ post-test scores across all three scales, indicating that the program effectively enhanced their perceptions of their computational thinking self-efficacy, their levels of technological pedagogical content knowledge, and their views on the use of information and communication technologies in schools. Qualitative findings further showed that the participants developed algorithmic reasoning, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills through hands-on coding and modeling tasks. Overall, the results suggest that integrating computational modeling into teacher education can foster multidimensional growth—bridging computational literacy, scientific reasoning, and pedagogical technology integration.