Scaffolds for Integrated Computational and Algebraic Thinking

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening the preparation of early childhood teachers to provide meaningful and relevant STEM learning opportunities for young children. Computational and mathematical thinking are increasingly important skills for participation in a technology-driven society and workforce, yet many future teachers have limited opportunities to learn how to synergistically teach these concepts in ways that connect to young children’s everyday experiences and backgrounds. This Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project will prepare future early childhood educators to integrate computational and mathematical thinking while centering students as learners. By supporting future teachers as they develop confidence and expertise in STEM instruction, the project seeks to increase participation in STEM fields, encourage more young students to consider future pathways in computing and related disciplines, and strengthen the nation’s capacity for innovation and economic growth. The project will contribute to the knowledge base on effective teacher preparation practices and generate openly accessible resources that can benefit teacher educators, schools, and communities nationwide. This project will investigate the effects of learner-centered scaffolds on early childhood pre-service teachers’ epistemological beliefs about computational and algebraic thinking and their experiences designing and teaching integrated lessons that support both areas. The study will follow two cohorts of pre-service teachers beginning in their senior year of an early childhood teacher education program, through their teaching internships, and into their first year as in-service teachers in South Carolina schools. Through a partnership among a teacher education program, a center supporting assistive technology and educational research, and local public schools, participants will engage in a semester-long instructional module featuring robotics activities, learner-centered instructional supports, integrated computational and algebraic thinking tasks, and scaffold-supported lesson design. Using a mixed-methods approach, data will be collected through surveys, lesson plans, reflections, and interviews to examine how learner-centered scaffolds influence pre-service teachers’ epistemological beliefs about computational and algebraic thinking, their lesson design practices, and the implementation of integrated instruction in early childhood classrooms. Findings will contribute to theory on the design of relevant scaffolds for computational and algebraic thinking, advance understanding of teacher epistemological beliefs, and inform evidence-based approaches for preparing educators to integrate computational thinking and mathematics in early childhood education. This project is supported through the NSF IUSE:EDU Program and the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports the training and development of undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.