TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring Design Principles in Computational Thinking Instruction for Multilingual Learners
AU - Pozos, Rose K.
AU - Severance, Samuel
AU - Denner, Jill
AU - Tellez, Kip
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Teachers College 2022.
PY - 2022/5
Y1 - 2022/5
N2 - Background: Multilingual learners have been overlooked and understudied in computer science education research. As the CS for All movement grows, it is essential to design integrated, justice-oriented curricula that help young multilingual learners begin to develop computational thinking skills and discourses. Purpose: We present a conceptual framework and accompanying design principles for justice-centered computational thinking activities that are language-rich, with the aim of supporting learners’ agency and building their capacity over time to use computing for good in their communities. Setting: Our work takes place in a research–practice partnership centered in an elementary school in California with a significant multilingual Latinx population. Research Design: We have engaged in two cycles of design-based research with preservice and in-service teachers at an elementary school. Through analysis of one case study during the second and most recent cycle, we examined the potential of teachers using our design principles for supporting multilingual learners’ language development through engagement in computational thinking. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that multilingual learners will engage in productive discourse when computational thinking lessons are designed to (1) be meaningfully contextualized, (2) position students as agentic learners, and (3) promote coherence over time. However, more research is needed to understand how teachers use these principles over time, and what additional supports are needed to ensure coordination between stakeholders to develop and effectively implement coherent learning progressions.
AB - Background: Multilingual learners have been overlooked and understudied in computer science education research. As the CS for All movement grows, it is essential to design integrated, justice-oriented curricula that help young multilingual learners begin to develop computational thinking skills and discourses. Purpose: We present a conceptual framework and accompanying design principles for justice-centered computational thinking activities that are language-rich, with the aim of supporting learners’ agency and building their capacity over time to use computing for good in their communities. Setting: Our work takes place in a research–practice partnership centered in an elementary school in California with a significant multilingual Latinx population. Research Design: We have engaged in two cycles of design-based research with preservice and in-service teachers at an elementary school. Through analysis of one case study during the second and most recent cycle, we examined the potential of teachers using our design principles for supporting multilingual learners’ language development through engagement in computational thinking. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that multilingual learners will engage in productive discourse when computational thinking lessons are designed to (1) be meaningfully contextualized, (2) position students as agentic learners, and (3) promote coherence over time. However, more research is needed to understand how teachers use these principles over time, and what additional supports are needed to ensure coordination between stakeholders to develop and effectively implement coherent learning progressions.
KW - computational thinking
KW - elementary school
KW - epistemic agency
KW - language development
KW - multilingual learners
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164810986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85164810986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01614681221104043
DO - 10.1177/01614681221104043
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85164810986
SN - 0161-4681
VL - 124
SP - 127
EP - 145
JO - Teachers College Record
JF - Teachers College Record
IS - 5
ER -