Teacher Knowledge and Perceptions of Computational Thinking and Computational Thinking Skills in 5th-Grade Mathematics

Computational thinking, largely associated with the language and process of communicating with computers, is fundamental to mathematics. As knowledge and skills progress with education and development, fifth-grade mathematics students are exposed to content that embraces elements and explanations rooted in computational thinking skills: decomposition, patterns, algorithms, and abstraction. Can we improve the early development of these skills to ensure student readiness and access to rigorous coursework in secondary education? While there are numerous influences that weigh on what and how curriculum is taught in the classroom, a significant factor is the knowledge of the teacher. Basil Bernstein theorized about the power of teachers, referring to the rules of the pedagogic device, the regulation of knowledge, and the embedding of code such that it permits students’ agency in their acquisition of knowledge. To determine if there are improvements to be made, first we must learn what teachers know regarding computational thinking and computational thinking skills as they relate to their curriculum. A case study of five practicing mathematics teachers consisting of a screener, a questionnaire, and an in-depth, follow-up interview was conducted. This descriptive, qualitative study was analyzed using deductive analysis and thematic decomposition to answer two aligned research questions. The key findings illustrate variations in the teacher perceptions, vague understandings of definitions, and the presence of teacher philosophies with regard to efficiencies, algorithms, and the opportunity to understand content that impacted the modeling of computational thinking skills with students. The data suggest significant opportunities for the development of abstraction in teacher and student understanding and indicate the need for additional research to explore this area in early education. The inspiring results suggest that there are areas of teacher improvement and growth that may have significant impacts on student achievement, confidence, and self-efficacy in STEM fields with additional teacher training, professional development, curriculum development, and coaching. This initial study is poised to leverage knowledge and development of computational thinking into practice, through education and refinement, for the benefit of students, by beginning with those that distribute, conceptualize, and evaluate knowledge in the classroom: teachers.