Instructor Views on Technology Use and Coding Training

Abstract

With the inclusion of the Information Technology and Software course in elementary and middle school curricula in Turkey, the Ministry of National Education has started to offer Technology Use and Coding courses. In this study, opinions of 12 instructors who taught Technology Use and Coding courses were consulted. The study aimed to determine the level of comprehension of the trainees through the evaluation of in-service training. The study was conducted as a case study, one of the qualitative research designs, and the data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The data were analyzed using the MaxQDA 2020 software. As a result, it was determined that the trainees who attended the courses voluntarily were more willing to learn. The trainees who voluntarily attended these courses stated that they preferred these courses due to the popularity of coding training. While the duration of the course was found to be sufficient, it was determined that offering the courses after work hours caused a decrease in the motivation of the trainees. Inconvenience of training centers, lack of educational materials and insufficient number of instructors were stated as problems encountered in courses. It was observed that the attendees of the course liked the algorithm and block-based coding subjects, and that the instructors did not give enough importance to the subject of coding without computers.