Imagine Yourself as a Media and Computer Science Teacher

In order to investigate pre-service primary teachers’ mental images and beliefs about Media and Computer Science teaching, the Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist (DASTT-C) was adapted for the field of Media and Computer Science. For this explorative study, 78 student teachers were asked to imagine themselves as Media and Computer Science teacher before and after a methods seminar. Using a qualitative research approach and building upon the ideas of the Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist, the drawings before and after the course were coded. A coding scheme was developed, resulting in the Draw-A-Media-And-Computer-Science-Teacher Repository (DMECS-R). Subsequently, the results of the coding were analysed and evaluated with a mixed-method approach. Quantitative comparison of the number of recategorizations of the drawings after the methods course, comparison of ‘average’ images, visualization with multidimensional scaling and qualitative observations of minimum and maximum individual changes have led the authors to three conclusions: (1) After the method course it is less likely that student teachers draw individual work of students. (2) After the course, student teachers were less likely to draw children working on closely guided assignments. Post-course, more student teachers draw pupils working on own projects and tasks. (3) After the method course, it is less likely that student teachers draw themselves in a conventional, classically furnished classroom with only chalkboard and neatly arranged tables and chairs. Taking a dialogic and constructivist approach of learning into account, this research shows that the methods course expanded the student teachers’ repertoire of teaching methods for Media and Computer Science lessons. For following studies in computer science education, the results should be verified by accompanying interviews and subsequently find their way into pedagogical training.