A three-phase professional development approach to improving robotics pedagogical knowledge and computational thinking attitude of early childhood teachers

Computational thinking has been promoted as an impactful 21st-century skillset that can be transferred to many other disciplines and problem scenarios. With the proliferation of age-appropriate coding platforms for young children, computational thinking has become increasingly popular in early childhood settings. However, there is a lack of research on introducing coding and computational thinking to teacher training in early childhood education. To empower early childhood teachers in the digital society, this study introduced 17 early childhood teachers to robot programming and computational thinking through the ‘CT4ECE’ professional development program, which includes three phases: Learn, Practice, and Reflect & Improve. Results of pre- and post-intervention surveys revealed that the CT4ECE program significantly enhanced teachers' robotics and pedagogical knowledge, as well as their attitudes towards computational thinking, especially their interest in and their view of using computational thinking in classroom practice. Post-intervention interviews indicated that participation in CT4ECE helped educators gain a basic understanding of both coding robots and computational thinking suitable for young children due to a structured change process for teachers' professional learning. This study establishes a strong foundation for enhancing and expanding the CT4ECE program, ultimately equipping teachers and children with the necessary skillsets to thrive in the digital future.