Novice Coders Reactions to Pedagogical Strategies within a Coding Education Course

Abstract

While coding is integrated into K-12 curricula worldwide, most teachers are new to coding and need more preparation on how to present coding well. This study investigates the reactions of novice coders to teaching strategies within a carefully developed coding for pre-service teachers (PSTs) course. During the course, PSTs participated in many coding challenges and were prompted to reflect on their learning and connections to future teaching in Digital Learning Portfolios (DLPs). Using thematic analysis, the DLPs of 3 PSTs without prior coding experience were analyzed in depth to determine PST reactions to the teaching strategies used within the coding-for-teachers course. The reflections captured in the teaching approaches were generally effective for novice coders, but at times more scaffolding would have supported learning. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed concerning teacher educators preparing teachers to teach coding in other contexts.