Katarina Pajchel

This paper discusses the significance of school curricula in reflecting societal priorities and needs, focusing on the incorporation of computational thinking (CT) in Nordic national curricula. Our point of departure is that the preparedness of future generations for a digitally driven society can be determined by analysing how CT is either explicitly or implicitly framed in school curricula. Accordingly, this study examined the school curricula of Denmark, Finland, and Norway in terms of their similarities and differences in how they framed CT, as these countries have different approaches to the inclusion of CT. A framework for analysis that was grounded in influential works on CT in education was developed, focusing on problem-solving, algorithmic and transversal practices. National-level curricula were examined using a content analysis. Despite the differences in the approaches used in these countries, our findings indicate similarities across all three curricula, with an emphasis on how CT was framed.

Programming and computational thinking have been introduced into the curricula of several countries, also in relation to science and technology education. Preparing pre-service teachers for using programming in science education is therefore an important and relevant task. The purpose of this article is to describe what knowledge may be relevant for teachers who are to use programming in science and technology education and to propose a questionnaire to aid in assessing this knowledge. The proposed questionnaire can be used for tracking development over time and for identifying areas where teachers need more knowledge.

Computational thinking (CT) is increasingly integrated into education, promoting problem-solving skills essential for the 21st century. However, little is known about how teachers assess CT in K-12 classrooms. This qualitative study explores elementary teachers' approaches to CT assessment after professional development in integrating CT into core subjects. Interviews with eleven teachers revealed key findings regarding what, how, and why they assess CT. Teachers frequently assessed debugging, decomposition, and, to a lesser extent, abstraction and patterns. They used observations and student explanations to gauge CT processes and valued real-life applications of CT as evidence of learning. However, there was variation in teachers’ beliefs about what constitutes assessment, with some favoring project-based methods and others seeing assessment as observing students’ CT in action. This study highlights the challenges and opportunities in developing robust CT assessment practices in elementary education.

In line with international debate, there is a discussion in Norway on developing teacher education by moving from a more experience-based to a research-based approach. This ongoing change presents a challenge, not only for the development of teacher education but also for teachers working as mentors in school placements. The aim of this study was to investigate science mentors’ views on research-based teacher education and the contribution of school placement therein. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 mentors working as science teachers in Norwegian primary and secondary schools. Data analysis was based on a thematic analytical approach. The results demonstrate that mentors display a mixed and limited understanding of research-based teacher education, and that developing an understanding of what it means in both contexts (on campus and in school placements) needs to be addressed. Mentors view school placement as an arena in which student teachers can freely test different teaching methodologies. Currently, school placement appears to be experienced as somewhat separate from teaching on campus. However, we conclude that school placement founded in a common knowledge base within research-based teacher education can function as a bridge between theory and practice.