Computational Thinking in Elementary Classrooms: Teachers’ Understanding of Computational Thinking Practices and Integration

Computational thinking is viewed as an integral part of the education system as it will be instrumental in almost all future professions. However, there is still a need to support teachers in understanding what CT is, as well as how to integrate it into their everyday teaching and current curriculum. This study was conducted as part of a larger NSF-funded professional development project to support elementary teachers to integrate CT into their mathematics and science classrooms. In this study, we worked with 22teachers who taught grade levels ranging from grade two to grade five. Our findings revealed how in-service teachers understand five major CT practices and how they connect those practices to their current practice.