COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER PREPARATION PRACTICES

Abstract

In connection with the integration of CS (Computer Science) into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools there is an increasing interest in improving the quality and increasing number of the CS teachers in the countries around the world. Innovation in the university CS teacher preparation programs and change of approach are one of the key elements for the success of these problems. The aim of this work is to identify paradigms in today's preparation of CS teachers by implementing a multiple case study from the point of view of two states. Cases were selected in the states of Nebraska and the Czech Republic. The presented results are based on a qualitative research consisting of semi-structured interviews with the university post-secondary faculty members who work in CS teacher preparation. Results are discussed in three main categories: problems with the CS teacher preparation, challenges in the CS teacher preparation and factors influencing the CS teacher preparation. The common problems found are mainly finance and insufficient number of CS teacher applicants. The cases also differ especially in the concepts focusing on pre-service and in-service teacher preparation, which may be an important factor in addressing the lack of students. One of the challenges in preparation is also the confidence of future CS teachers and a way of thinking about teaching CS at all, where the rapid development of this discipline can often be difficult for teachers to keep up. The results of this study can serve as a source of valuable information for strategic decisions, especially at university level, in the preparation of CS teachers.