Although computational thinking (CT) is becoming increasingly prevalent in K-12 education, many teachers find it challenging to integrate it with their classroom learning. In this systematic review, we have reviewed empirical evidence on teachers' computational-thinking-focused professional development (PD). The findings depict the landscape of…

Background: While advocates for integrating Computational Thinking (CT) into existing K12 classrooms have acknowledged and aimed to address various barriers to implementation, we contend that a more foundational issue -- tensions between the epistemology of computing and those of existing disciplines -- has largely been overlooked. Studies of…

Former STEM educator Nathan D. Lang-Raad has witnessed the power of interdisciplinary teaching in K-12 schools. In this book, he details nine specific habits of thinking and a challenge-based framework that educators should systematically integrate to promote students' academic knowledge and lifelong learning. Lang-Raad's approach consolidates…

The role of creativity has been well recognized in wholesome development of children's personality and attitude. Among various approaches to foster creativity in children, design thinking (DT) has emerged as a significant approach. The study presented in this paper explores the implementation of DT into maker education to help K-12 students…

This dissertation examines the response of a group of educators to a state mandate to integrate computational thinking (CT) into all levels of the curriculum. It explores the historical development of CT and its significance within the broader context of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, emphasizing the rapid growth and…

Since Wing "Communications of the ACM," 49, 33-35, (2006) popularized computational thinking (CT) as a skill for every student, it has gained significant traction as an approach to bring computer science tools and practices into K-12 classrooms. At the same time, teachers often see the relevance of CT as a tool to introduce problem…

School can nurture critical thinkers, creative individuals, and skilled collaborators and communicators, who are curious about and invested in society. Design thinking is a promising educational approach because it builds on the notion that students learn by tackling problems in the world. However, implementing this approach in a school setting is…

This article discusses the latest developments of the Sucre4Stem tool, as part of the Sucre initiative, which aims to promote interest in computational thinking and programming skills in K-12 students. The tool follows the Internet of Things approach and consists of two prominent components: 1) SucreCore and 2) SucreCode. SucreCore incorporates an…

Students and teachers alike face a dilemma: Why think deeply when we can just take a shortcut by googling something? Why read an article when we can learn from a social media headline? If, as educators, we want to encourage our students to value thoughtfulness and to embrace the effort it takes to reach deep understandings, we must model that…

In K-12 education, Computational Thinking (CT) has been a trendy issue in mathematics education, but the approach and results of CT + Math are not yet clear enough. This paper systematically reviewed 22 SSCI journal papers from three perspectives: the current status, outcomes, and implications of mathematics and CT integration. Results indicate…

The introduction of programming education in K-12 schools to promote computational thinking has attracted a great deal of attention from scholars and educators. Debugging code is a central skill for students, but is also a considerable challenge when learning to program. Learners at the K-12 level often lack confidence in programming debugging due…

With the growing popularity of computational thinking (CT) classes in K-12 schools, it is important to investigate public perceptions of these initiatives. Analyzing public discussions and opinions provides valuable insights that can inform future educational policies and reforms. In this paper, we collected questions and answers related to CT…

When the current generation of K-12 learners has the opportunity to improve global issues and quality of life, they are inspired to advocate for worthy and ethical causes. Thus, we consider moving beyond the perspective of STE(A)M education from a workforce and global economic focus towards empathy-oriented STE(A)M learning as a humanistic pursuit…

This paper is a part of a larger research study that we are conducting to develop a framework consisting of the data-driven best practices around teaching and learning algebra in K-12 classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to develop a usable definition for algebra interventions for the second stage of screening within the larger study, which…

The ability to think mathematically critically is essential in learning as it helps students to think rationally in making decisions and formulating conclusions, as well as choosing the best option for themselves. In fact, PISA results in 2022 and TIMSS results in 2015 show that students' critical thinking skills are not optimum. Therefore, the…