Identifying and formulating teachers’ beliefs and motivational orientations for computer science teacher education

Abstract

How teachers are able to adapt to a changing environment is essentially dependent on their beliefs and motivational orientations. The development of these aspects in the context of professional competence takes place during teachers' educational phase and professional practice. The overall understanding of professional competence for teaching computer science follows the notion of empirical educational research including beliefs and motivational aspects. This article aims to investigate relevant domain-specific beliefs and motivational orientations for teaching computer science and their consideration in curricula for computer science teacher education. Therefore, results of an expert interview study based on the critical incident technique lead to appropriate descriptions for domain-relevant beliefs and motivational orientations. Results of a broad curriculum analysis indicate how those aspects are normatively considered in computer science university and school education in Germany. The data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

Computational thinking and teacher education: An expert interview study

“…Unlike math or science, the demand for CS teachers is minimal, usually only one per school. This concurs previous research (Bender et al, 2016) indicating that CS teachers are at a disadvantaged position, making recruiting particularly difficult. An important strategy stressed by the experts is to help stakeholders understand the significance of CT for its democratic value.…”

“…Whenever possible, the experts' own words were used to ensure the accuracy of the meaning. Employing the summarizing analysis technique (Bender, Schaper, Caspersen, Margaritis, & Hubwieser, 2016), core ideas were stressed by eliminating irrelevant texts (e.g., repeating phrases). Table A2 provides a summary of the final themes with sample quotes.…”

Science teachers' philosophical thoughts in Chemistry lessons: An epistemological reflection

“…This means that a study of teaching and learning activities can shed light upon the collaboration between the epistemological dimensions of the teaching of how (pedagogy) and what (content) in chemistry lessons. But, it is difficult to think that exploration of beliefs and values can come up with results, can be used to predict students' activities in the classroom (Acharya, Rajbhandary, & Acharya, 2019;Bender, Schaper, Caspersen, Margaritis, & Hubwieser, 2016;Soulios, & Psillos, 2016). We believe that it is both interesting and important to get an understanding of a view of chemistry interactions with students' activities and we think it can be studied through collaboration.…”

“…Traditionally, epistemology is a thought as an enterprise which deals with questions of what makes knowledge claims valid in all circumstances (Soulios, & Psillos, 2016). However, for pragmatists, epistemology is both a part of and a result of human practices (Bender, Schaper, Caspersen, Margaritis, & Hubwieser, 2016). This shows that the correct way of creating reality is explored in discourses.…”

Beliefs on the teacher professionalism and teaching models in initial teacher education

“…The results presented in this study are part of the project 2 being developed to help future secondary education teachers to explicit and discuss, in the classroom, the conceptions and attitudes related to aspects that may be useful to reflect on education and teaching activity during the initial teacher training process (Ezquerra, De-Juanas and Ulloa, 2014). The problems, which can be tackled around such a general theme, can be very broad since teacher professionalism is linked to aspects such as interest in teaching, teachers' professional profile, research activities, development of teaching competences, vision of secondary education level, teachers' professional problems and the role of motivation in professional development (Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop, 2004;Bender et al, 2015).…”