This study investigates the integration of computational thinking (CT) into early elementary literacy, focusing on kindergarten to second grade students, using multiple representations to understand their ideas of CT. Through clinical task-based interviews with 12 students, we found that concrete manipulatives, pictorial/graphical representations,…

The recent push to introduce coding in early childhood education has been the subject of heated debate. A lack of theoretical and empirical research devoted to understanding coding education acceptance provided the motivation for this article. As a way to engage in the debate, this article investigated kindergarten teachers' acceptance of coding…

This study provides the first causal analysis of the impact of expanding Computer Science (CS) education in U.S. K-12 schools on students' choice of college major and early career outcomes. Utilizing rich longitudinal data from Maryland, we exploit variation from the staggered rollout of CS course offerings across high schools. Our findings…

Abolitionist dreamers have called for justice-oriented teachers to teach K-12 students with marginalized identities through methods of critical and culturally responsive/sustaining pedagogies (Freire, 1970/2018; Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 1995/2021; Paris & Alim, 2014); acts of love, care, hope, and healing (Ginwright, 2016; Love, 2019); and…

Physical programming (PP) is defined as the design of interactive physical systems between the real and virtual worlds using a combination of software and hardware. A physical programming platform (PPP) defines a structure that includes hardware and software where such applications can be made. The aim of this study is to introduce the MIDEP…

Background/Context: There were over 500,000 open computing jobs across the country in 2018, but only 35% of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes, and only 8-10% of STEM graduates study computer science (Code.org, 2018). In 2021, only 5.1% of all Bachelor's degrees conferred were in Computer and Information Sciences (IPEDS, 2018). STEM…

SCRATCH, developed by the Media Lab at MIT, is a kid-friendly visual programming language, designed to introduce programming to children and teens in a "more thinkable, more meaningful, and more social" way. Although it was initially intended for K-12 students, educators have used it for higher education as well, and found it…

The underrepresentation of certain groups in computing has led to increasing efforts to develop computing curricula that is responsive and relevant to a more diverse group of learners. The current paper used a Quick Scoping Review methodology to identify research that has implemented and evaluated culturally responsive and relevant K-12 computing…

The use of integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction has the affordances of combining harmonious content area connections into real-world experiences that are both engaging and challenging. This article introduces findings from a study that used an integrated robotics module to expose in-service and preservice…

Prior work demonstrates the importance of introducing young children to programming and engineering content before gender stereotypes are fully developed and ingrained in later years. However, very little research on gender and early childhood technology interventions exist. This pilot study looks at N = 45 children in kindergarten through second…