The role of computation in science is ever-expanding and is enabling scientists to investigate complex phenomena in more powerful ways and tackle previously intractable problems. The growing role of computation has prompted calls to integrate computational thinking (CT) into science instruction in order to more authentically mirror contemporary…

Background and Context: Computational thinking and practices (CT|P) are key competencies for learners in science and engineering. For studies with young adolescents as participants, manifested research philosophies are sometimes inconsistent with societal pluralisms. Objective: Based on research literature from 2016 to early 2019 for CT|P in…

This study was grounded in the spatial computational thinking model developed by the "3D Weather" project funded by the NSF STEM+C program. The model reflects a discipline-based perspective towards computational thinking and captures the spatial nature of computational thinking in meteorology and the reliance of computational thinking on…

In this study, the role of science and computational thinking (CT) in teaching self-efficacy and design thinking variables were examined to explain the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) knowledge forms needed by science teachers for integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) within the framework of the…

High school science classrooms across the United States are answering calls to make computation a part of science learning. The problem is that there is little known about the barriers to learning that computation might bring to a science classroom or about how to help students overcome these challenges. This case study explores these challenges…

Improving students' STEM competencies is important and relies on fine-grained assessments, however, assessing scientific inquiry in an authentic, automated way is challenging for a number of reasons. Here, we provide an overview of how the learning sciences and computational sciences were used in the design and development of Inq-ITS and its…

Background: Primary science education is critical for developing scientific literacy and fostering long-term interest in STEM. However, implementation faces challenges such as limited teacher preparation, rigid curricula, and unequal digital access. Purpose: This study aims to map the intellectual structure and emerging trends in primary science…

The aim of the study is to examine the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teaching intention of science and primary school pre-service teachers in terms of Computational Thinking (CT) skill, gender, grade level, daily computer usage, internet usage, smartphone usage, and the department variables. The study employs the…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" call for engaging students in practices that scientists and engineers use (NGSS Lead States 2013), but it's also important to explicitly teach thinking approaches that scientists and engineers use. One way to help children think and act like scientists and engineers is to engage them with…

Computational thinking can provide a basis for problem solving, for making evidence-based decisions, and for learning to code or create programs. Therefore, it is critical that all students across the K-12 continuum--including students in the early grades--have opportunities to begin developing problem solving and computational thinking skills.…

Computer science (CS) and computational thinking (a problem-solving process used by computer scientists) teach students design, logical reasoning, and problem solving--skills that are valuable in life and in any career. Computational thinking (CT) concepts such as decomposition teach students how to break down and tackle a large complex problem.…

In this study, we described a curricular module on computational thinking (CT) integrated within an undergraduate, senior level elementary science methods course, and developed insights on elementary preservice science teachers' (PSTs) thoughts, feelings, and actions about CT integration. Our research question was: "Following participation in…

Computational thinking (CT) parallels the core practices of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and is believed to effectively support students' learning of science and math concepts. However, despite the synergies between CT and STEM education, integrating the two to support synergistic learning remains an important…

The aim of this research was to develop a STEAM-based program for teaching middle school students the concept of time to enhance their computational thinking skills. The proposed Time Teaching Program (TTP) consists of modules and activities on the definition of time, historical development of time measurement tools, universal time measurement…

In this study, an instructional design model, based on the computational experiment approach, was employed in order to explore the effects of the formative assessment strategies and scientific abilities rubrics on students' engagement in the development of inquiry-based pedagogical scenario. In the following study, rubrics were used during the…