Survey of K-8 Teachers: Intersecting Computer Science Education, Diversity, and Inclusion

The national call to teach computer science (CS) in elementary school is widely adopted, but how prepared are elementary teachers to deliver CS instruction? For this Work-in-Progress paper, researchers explore this question by gathering baseline data from 34 participants in a CS professional development (PD) workshop. The PD aims to develop teachers’ professional knowledge and skills to teach computer science from kindergarten through grade 8. The PD instruction included an overview of the current context of CS education, the landscape of CS as a field, a review of State CS student learning standards, a primer on computer science principles, and issues of equity in CS and inclusive practices to meet the needs of students, with a focus on English Learners (EL), students with disability (SD), and under-represented students of color (USC). Participants completed a pre-post CS attitudinal survey. Descriptive statistical analysis indicates that participant responses aligned with the issues of addressed in the PD, with little change in believing CS education can improve learning or learner experiences for focus students. Overall, while adopting CS education in elementary schools is crucial to ensure all students have access to 21st-century skills, research on K-8 CS teachers would benefit PD that further develops need tools to assess stakeholders’ understanding of CS and support all students, particularly those who are underrepresented in CS. Hence, this pilot CS attitudinal instrument provides a template to create tools to gather the necessary data to make informed decisions.