It takes a village: supporting inquiry- and equity-oriented computer science pedagogy through a professional learning community

Abstract

This article describes the importance that high school computer science teachers place on a teachers’ professional learning community designed around an inquiry- and equity-oriented approach for broadening participation in computing. Using grounded theory to analyze four years of teacher surveys and interviews from the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program in the Los Angeles Unified School District, this article describes how participating in professional development activities purposefully aimed at fostering a teachers’ professional learning community helps ECS teachers make the transition to an inquiry-based classroom culture and break professional isolation. This professional learning community also provides experiences that challenge prevalent deficit notions and stereotypes about which students can or cannot excel in computer science.

Keywords:

• professional development
• professional learning community
• pedagogy
• broadening participation in computing
• teacher learning
• exploring computer science

Acknowledgements

The authors of this paper would like to thank Christine Ong, David Bernier, Gail Chapman, Solomon Russell, John Landa, and Suzanne Schaefer for their contributions to ECS and the professional learning community.

Notes

1. All names have been changed to protect teacher confidentiality.