The impact of professional development on 5th grade teacher self-efficacy regarding computational thinking
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This study examined the implementation of CT by fifth-grade teachers who participated in a year-long professional development program, eSTEM for Designing Games for Education (eDGE). The professional development was sponsored by the eMINTS National Center at the University of Missouri and funded by an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, eDGE aimed to integrate computer science, mathematics, and computational thinking through game design and simulations. The study analyzed data from two cohorts (2022-2023 and 2023-2024), consisting of 45 teachers across multiple states. Data collection included document analysis of archived course content, lesson plans, a computational thinking pattern analysis (CTPA) of games created using AgentCubes Online and semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis framework was applied to identify patterns and themes within the qualitative data, while quantitative measures such as descriptive statistics were used to assess changes in self-efficacy. Teachers successfully integrated computational thinking (CT) concepts into lesson planning but faced challenges incorporating technology as a core component. Some educators primarily viewed CT as a problem-solving skill rather than a technology-driven process, highlighting a disconnect between theoretical understanding and classroom practice. The study reinforced the distinction between coding and CT, suggesting that teaching coding alone does not automatically develop CT skills. Professional development must explicitly address CT's cognitive aspects alongside coding instruction. While some teachers integrated CT into mathematics and science lessons, limited evidence indicated improved student learning outcomes in these areas. Further research is needed to explore effective interdisciplinary CT curricula. Teachers identified time constraints, resource limitations, and difficulties adapting existing curricula as significant barriers to incorporating CT into daily instruction. Findings suggest that professional development programs should provide ongoing support, coaching, and follow-up to sustain teacher efficacy in computational thinking. Future research should focus on clarifying CT definitions for educators, refining pedagogical strategies, and developing assessment tools to measure student learning gains. Additionally, interdisciplinary CT integration requires further exploration to enhance its impact on subject-specific learning outcomes.
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Ph. D.