Who Needs What: Recommendations for Designing Effective Online Professional Development for Computer Science Teachers

Abstract

The new Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science (CS) Principles course increases the need for quality CS teachers and thus the need for professional development (PD). This article presents the results of a 2-year study investigating how teachers teaching the AP CS Principles course for the first time used online PD material. Our results showed that the teaching and computing background of teachers had a significant impact on the teachers' need for and use of online PD material. More specifically, novice CS teachers needed and used PD for developing their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Non-CS teachers needed and used PD materials emphasizing content knowledge. Experienced CS teachers believed they had little need for PD even though they were teaching a new course. Our study makes three recommendations for designing effective online PD for CS teachers: match PD to teachers' background, align PD with the course curriculum, and use effective motivational design to enhance teacher engagement. (Keywords: computer science education, online professional development, K–12, AP computer science principles course)

Acknowledgments. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation (NSF). We thank all the teachers who participated in this study and all members of the PD4CS team for their contribution toward developing the site and the PD material.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant 1502462.

Notes on contributors

Yizhou Qian

Yizhou Qian is a PhD candidate of learning design and technology at Purdue University. His research focuses on computer science education, professional development for computer science teachers, and data-driven programming learning systems. Please address correspondence regarding this article to Yizhou Qian, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Purdue University, Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, Room 3167, 100 N. University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Susanne Hambrusch

Susanne Hambrusch is a professor of Computer Sciences at Purdue University. Her research interests are in computer science education, design and analysis of algorithms, and parallel and distributed computation.

Aman Yadav

Dr. Aman Yadav is an Associate Professor and Director of Masters of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. Dr. Yadav's research focuses on preparing preservice and inservice teachers to teach computer science courses and incorporate computing ideas and practices (i.e., computational thinking).

Sarah Gretter

Dr. Sarah Gretter is a Senior Learning Designer at Michigan State University's Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology. Her research focuses on curriculum reform around 21st century learning and technologies.