Teacher Perceptions of the Adaptation of the New Computer Science ( CS ) Curriculum : An Evaluation of CS Curriculum Implementation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the adaptation of the newly developed Computer Science (CS) curriculum in middle schools and address teachers’ challenges during its implementation. Since CS has been introduced as a new subject in K-12 schools in the U.S., it is essential to determine the current implementation of CS curriculum from teachers’ perspectives in order to enhance the CS education movement. Considering the fact that curriculum implementation interacts with multiple factors in K-12 school systems, this study assesses the current status of CS curriculum implementation in middle schools based on four categories: (1) teacher, (2) curriculum, (3) context, (4) students. The participants were middle school teachers who taught Introduction to Programming course in the Southwestern United States. The findings showed that teachers had positive attitudes toward CS education and received enough opportunities for professional development in CS. However, teacher sought effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ understanding of CS concepts and better engage their students in CS learning. As for the curriculum, teachers perceived the scope, sequence and learning objective of the CS curriculum were appropriate for the purpose, whereas they needed more time to enhance students’ understanding of CS concepts. In addition, the findings suggested that some schools do not have appropriate equipment or facilities. Based on our findings, recommendations for implementing CS curriculum to support CS education and implications for future research are presented and discussed.