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Increasing Computer Science Teacher Capacity and Equity through a Research-Practice Partnership During COVID-19*

Kathryn Schiller, UAlbany (Educational Leadership & Policy)

Robin Flatland, Siena College (Computer Science)

Jesse Moya, Siena College (Education)

Stacey Hansen, UAlbany (Educational Leadership & Policy)

Jim Matthews, Siena College (Computer Science)

Pauline White, Siena College (Computer Science)

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* This paper  is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1923378.

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Thinking Globally,

Acting Locally

  • Increasing Computer Science (CS) Capacity and Equity by Developing a Regional CS Teacher Community.
  • National Science Foundation Grant under the CSforAll initiative.
  • Goals:
    • Capacity building – professional development & teacher network.
  • Enhance equity – units on diversity in CS & “discovering” high school course.
  • Timeline:
  • 2019-20: Scale up from prior pilot with 5 schools.
  • 2020-21: Revise for fully online offerings.
  • 2021-22: Continued refinement.

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Enhancing CS Competency & Capacity

  • Professional Development Workshops (PD)
    • Experts provide training to teachers

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  • Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
    • Teachers exchange their knowledge.

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  • Research-practice Partnerships (RPP)
    • Researchers & teachers exchange knowledge.

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  • Benefits of Social Capital
    • Exchange of Resources
    • Trust during Difficult Times
    • Emotional Supports

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  • Guiding Question
    • What can be learned about the role of exchanges of professional knowledge for organizational resilience in turbulent times?

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Monitoring Progress of RPP

  • Project progress reports
    • Schools: 5 in 2018-19 to 30 in 2022-23.
    • Teachers: 5 in 2018-19 to 35 in 2022-23.
    • Students: 30 in 2018-19 to over 500 in 2022-23
  • Teacher focus groups
    • 20 participants in 3 focal groups conducted in Summer 2022.
  • Student interviews
    • 61 participants in 2021-22.
  • Annual pre- & post-course student surveys

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RPP in Action During COVID

  • Pre-COVID activities
    • Initial PD in CS for teachers in new schools.
    • Executive committee member expanded to CS teachers from pilot project.
  • Pandemic Adjustments
    • Summer RPP collaboration – redesigned modules for remote instruction.
    • Rolled out instructional adjustments – shift to new coding platform that allowed real-time collaboration at a distance.

Addressing the shared challenge of quickly switching to remote learning could not have been done without collaboration between the college faculty and the high school teachers. The results were better because we drew from each other’s experience and expertise.

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Teachers’ need for Emotional Support

Community provided technical support and combated isolation

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Meaningful involvement engendered a shared mission

Since I am like the only one - the solo person - it’s just been really nice to have, like, a support group. Someone to talk to

I almost feel like a one-man marching band…if I didn’t have, I guess, this level of involvement with CS and Siena, …I wouldn’t feel such an urge to really help bring computer science into [my school].”

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Students’ perceptions of CS courses

  • Annual post-course surveys
    • Course rating: “Agree” or “strongly agree” for both courses in all years.

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    • Teacher rating: “Neutral” or “agree” for both courses in all years.

When you're online, you both see the same thing and like you wouldn't have to swap going on and off the computer like you both can look at it and discuss it.

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Conclusions & Implications

  • Key Components of PLCs & RPPs
    • Relationships break down feelings of isolation.
    • Trust allows risk-taking in sharing challenges & frustrations.
    • Shared mission and vision in encouraging each other.
    • Two-way exchange of expertise.
  • Implications
    • University Faculty – explore cross-level synergies.
    • CS Teachers – leadership opportunities to leverage their expertise to improve learning beyond their own classroom.
    • School Leaders – utilize external partners to support teachers.

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Questions?

Kathryn Schiller, UAlbany (Educational Leadership & Policy) kschiller@albany.edu

Robin Flatland, Siena College (Computer Science) flatland@siena.edu

Jesse Moya, Siena College (Education) jmoya@siena.edu

Stacey Hansen, UAlbany (Educational Leadership & Policy) srhansen@albany.edu

Jim Matthews, Siena College (Computer Science) matthews@siena.edu

Pauline White, Siena College (Computer Science) pwhite@siena.edu