EAGER:Collaborative Research:Strategies for developing special education preservice teacher competencies in integrated mathematics+computing

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

This project brings computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) content to students with disabilities. Approximately 6.7 million students with disabilities receive special education services in US public schools. In order to broaden participation their in computing, Michigan State University will develop and implement CS/CT content within special education teacher preparation to make CS/CT sustainable and integral parts of schooling. The project will work with special education, preservice teachers so all learners have opportunities to learn CS/CT ideas and apply CS/CT practices from an early age, as they do for mathematics. This project proposes to explore ways to embed CS/CT into an existing special education mathematics methods course and examine whether and how it develops preservice teacher competencies in CS/CT. Specifically, the project will: 1. Revise a special education mathematics methods course around CS/CT to prepare preservice teachers to embed computational ideas into their day-to-day classroom activities and to show how instructional approaches and frameworks, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to provide access for students with disabilities within integrated CS/CT lessons. 2. Examine whether and how CT-integrated coursework influences special education preservice teachers' knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards embedding CS/CT in their teaching. Given that large number of course requirements for teacher education students to obtain licensure makes it unrealistic to add new curricula to teacher preparation, this research will inform how teacher educators could embed computational skills within existing coursework. The CS/CT integrated materials, activities, and assessments would be open-source and disseminated to allow others to adapt them to meet their own teacher education needs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.