Integrating literacy and computational thinking (CT) can broaden computer science education participation, especially for multilingual learners. This study examined how the Computing and AI for All (CAIforALL) Act 1 Curriculum, an ELA-integrated Scratch-based CT curriculum, impacts coding attitudes among elementary students in predominantly Latine and multilingual districts. The curriculum integrates literacy strategies into CT instruction as proposed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to support multilingual learners. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial with 1,325 students in grades 3–5 across 23 schools in two suburban districts. The treatment group used an ELA-integrated CT curriculum for a school year while controls continued with business-as instruction. Pre- and post-surveys measured five coding attitude constructs: confidence, interest, utility, perceived coding values of social circles, and perceptions of young coders. We estimated treatment effects using a two-level hierarchical linear model, controlling for student and classroom characteristics. Findings show no statistically significant differences emerged in overall coding attitudes between groups. However, students exposed to a year of ELA-integrated CT curriculum showed significant increases in coding confidence. The curriculum did not significantly affect other attitude dimensions. Findings suggest that an ELA-integrated CT curriculum can enhance coding confidence among elementary students, demonstrating the value of early computing exposure and integrated approaches.

Teachers are increasingly integrating computational thinking (CT) into subject-area learning opportunities with the aim to meet both subject-area and CT learning goals. While prior work has identified CT practices synergistic to subject-area learning, less is published about pedagogical frameworks for instructional practices when integrating CT into content area teaching. This poster presents data from educators (teachers and professional developers) about what they find to be crucial factors for designing and implementing CT integrated lessons. Preliminary analysis indicates educators advocate for twenty practices including creating reflection opportunities, actively using CT vocabulary, opportunities for students to practice CT skills, meaningful real-world connections, utilizing scaffolding strategies, explicitly introducing CT practices, clear connections between CT and curricular content, using multiple modalities, and encouraging student discourse.

According to an ecological affordances perspective, any static curriculum has a set of affordances, and differences in teachers, students, and the teaching environment change how those affordances are viewed and used. Therefore, teaching is a relationship between the curriculum, the teacher, and the students. As such, it is not only possible but expected that a teacher will diverge from the details of a lesson plan to better accommodate the needs of themselves as a teacher and their students as learners.

Researchers and practitioners have worked to bring computer science to all students. However, CS is still an inequitable field. When developing curricula, we must account for the importance of connecting the lives and identities of historically marginalized students with instructional materials. We examine the knowledge and experiences that elementary (age 9-10) students drew upon to implement an open-ended programming assignment about themselves. We coded the Scratch projects of 189 students to investigate what aspects of their lives students reference, and how they use various modalities in Scratch to create digital media products about themselves. In our data, we found that the most common spheres portrayed were identity, hobbies and leisure, and interests. When expressing their identities, students narrated their experiences, expressed consciousness about their skills, connected to the user via their interests, and sometimes discussed equity. Additionally, our findings add to previous literature on Scratch as an effective platform for digital media production. In particular, we found that students used dialogue, images, sound, and the title to represent their spheres of influence through programming multimedia and interactive projects. This work has implications for the development of curricula and teaching guides for upper elementary students courses on computational thinking. Spheres of influence could inform researchers on the most influential aspects of students life in a specific context, providing elements for creating culturally relevant and interest-based materials and lessons.

Developing student interest is critical to supporting student learning in computer science. Research indicates that student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement. While there is a growing body of work on developing computing identities for diverse students, little research focuses on early exposure to develop multilingual students’ interest in computing. These students represent one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in computer science education. This study examines identity development of upper elementary multilingual students as they engage in a year-long computational thinking curriculum, and follows their engagement across multiple settings (i.e., school, club, home, community). Findings from pre- and post-surveys of identity showed significant differences favoring students’ experiences with computer science, their perceptions of computer science, their perceptions of themselves as computer scientists, and their family support for computer science. Findings from follow-up interviews and prior research suggest that tailored instruction provides opportunities for connections to out-of-school learning environments with friends and family that may shift students’ perceptions of their abilities to pursue computer science and persist when encountering challenges.

Effective and equitable CS teaching is contingent on teachers’ robust understanding of equity issues in CS classrooms. To this end, this study examined high school teachers’ perceptions of equity during their participation in a CS teacher certificate program over two years. The participants are from various disciplines and from schools that serve under-represented students. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted content analysis of the teachers’ written reflections and responses to semi-structured interviews. Based on the justice-centered framework, we analyzed the major themes that emerged from the content analysis. The findings provide insights into high school CS teachers’ understanding of equity, the strategies that teachers use to address equity issues, and how teachers interpret the causes of inequities in CS classrooms. This research presents frameworks for examining teachers’ conceptualizations of equity and can inform the implementation of future professional development programs for CS teachers.