Contextual Factors Influencing Access to Teaching Computational Thinking

This study attempts to determine whether teachers' access to computational thinking (CT) and CT technologies varies by rurality (rural versus urban) of the school county and grade level taught (primary versus secondary). A total of 81 teachers from West Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma participated in this survey study. Overall, teachers found CT and CT tools useful and relevant to their teaching and had access to an essential level of technology in schools supporting computational thinking. However, teachers' CT skills and their teaching of CT were limited and varied depending on rurality and grade level. For instance, primary school teachers in rural settings reported significantly lower levels of CT skills than those in urban settings. Findings and implications are discussed.