A Reflective Practitioner's Perspective on Computer Science Teacher Preparation

1. A Reflective Practitioner's Perspective on Computer Science Teacher Preparation 1 Department of Education in Technology and Science, Technion, Israel 2 School of Education, Beit Berl College, Israel ISSEP 2010, Zurich, Switzerland Noa Ragonis1,2 and Orit Hazzan1

2. “Our question then is not so much whether to reflect as what kind of reflection is most likely to help us get unstuck.” (Schön, 1983, p. 280)

3. The Rational for Experience Reflection One of the significant ways to acquire pedagogical-disciplinary knowledge involves activities performed in actual teaching situations. It is important to provide prospective teachers opportunities to guide learners towards reflective processes during problem solving to enhance coping learners' thinking. Such activities also increases teachers' confidence and motivation. > Hazzan, O. (2002) > Khisty, C.J., Khisty, L.L. (1992) > Putnam, R. T., Borko, H. (2000) > Wilson, S. M., Berne, J (1999)

4. The Research Target and Framework • Target: To examining reflective processes carried out by prospective computer science (CS) teachers. • Context: The reflections were facilitated during a Method of Teaching CS course and during a tutoring process that was integrated into the course. • Course structure and population The course consists of 224 hours of classes and training (in two semesters). • The course main objectives To construct a varied toolbox for the prospective CS teachers to use during their practicum and in their future work as CS teachers.

5. The Main Course Objectives Expose to difficulties encountered by CS learners; Expose to a variety of CS teaching methods; Demonstrate the creation of a supportive and cooperative inquiry-based learning environment; Enable acquiring of pedagogical skills, including considerations about different kinds of learners; Expose to CS education research and to its application in teaching processes.

6. Reflection as expressed in the MTCS course Two main kinds of reflective processes were integrated in the course: Reflection that takes place during the accomplishment of the course assignments – as learners; Reflection that accompanies the tutoring activity – as teachers. The two perspectives enable the prospective teachers to increase their awareness of the potential advantages of reflective processes.

7. Reflective Activities in the MTCS Course Wide and deep attention is given in order to educate the prospective CS teachers to become RPs: Exposure of the concept, including reflection before, during and after an action. Reflection on personal experience in the course. Illustrations of scenarios where reflective process can enhance CS learners' problem-solving skills. An ongoing reflection process as part of the tutoring model. At the end of each semester submitting a written guided reflection on their own reflection processes during the course - Meta reflection – reflection on the reflection.

8. The Disciplinary Focus Tutoring (DFT) The tutors are prospective CS teachers enrolled in the MTCS course. The tutees are college or high school students learning introductory CS course. The tutoring activity enable to experience and to apply the knowledge gained in the course in actual teaching situations. The innovation: the focus is on the tutor rather than on the tutee.

9. Tutoring is based on the tutor's identification of the tutee's difficulties, and the subsequent application of different teaching strategies to overcome such difficulties. Tutoring takes place in tutor-tutee pairs that meet for five sessions. Each tutor participates in two cycles of tutoring, one in each semester, with a different tutee in each cycle. The Disciplinary Focus Tutoring (DFT)

10. Reflective Processes in the Tutoring The tutors complete a feedback sheet for each tutoring session, aims to encourage and foster reflection by the tutors when functioning as teachers. The tutors receive a written feedback on each session from the tutoring coordinator. Two individual meetings with the tutoring coordinator are hold (at the beginning and at the end of the activity). Each tutor present to the course plenum one episode from the tutoring process. The tutors complete a final summarizing reflective feedback questionnaire. Optional: Request the tutees to fill out a feedback sheet after each tutoring session.

11. The Research Tools Qualitative research. Data gathered from all the above tools (feedback sheets, interviews, presentations, final tutors questionnaire, final tutees questionnaire). Various homework assignments. Researcher’s diary.

12. The Research Findings The reflective processes encourage the prospective CS teachers to function as reflective practitioners. We identified eight viewpoints (VP) on reflection that the prospective CS teachers exhibited.

13. 8 View Points

14. 8 View Points

15. View Point 1 Reflection on learning in previous CS courses • The prospective CS teachers reflected on their past learning of CS concepts. For example: I was never taught how to begin a problem-solving process, what the stages are.

16. View Point 2 Reflection on learning in the MTCS course • Reflection on their own performance while working on course activities, and on the teaching skills they acquired during "learning to be a teacher". For example: The skills you taught us of looking at things from the learner's perspective were very helpful indeed.

17. View Point 3 Reflection on teaching in the tutoring process Pre, in and post session • Pre-session reflection - while preparing the tutoring session. For example: It contributes to my awareness and understanding of what teaching is. It highlights many new topics that should be paid attention to while teaching.

18. View Point 3 cont. Reflection on teaching in the tutoring process Pre, in and post session • In-session reflection - during the tutoring session. For example: Indeed, during the lesson I noticed that I had digressed to a topic they had not yet learned. Therefore…

19. View Point 3 cont. Reflection on teaching in the tutoring process Pre, in and post session • Post-session reflection – on previous sessions – with criticism or satisfaction. For example: • If I could repeat the tutoring session, I would give her [the tutee] additional time to think about the second part of the question. • I do not regret that we began the solution in a specific way and then switched to another way. I think that it exposed him [the tutee] to different thinkingprocesses.

20. View Point 3 cont. Reflection on teaching in the tutoring process Pre, in and post session • Reflection on the overall tutoring activity. For example: In summary, I recommend doing it – yes, yes, yes – otherwise we may not meet anyone who needs to have something explained to him or her.

21. View Point 4 Reflection on the tutee's learning processes • The tutors addressed their diagnosis of the way their tutee acquired the said knowledge . For example: Becoming familiar with the tutee's way of thinking and the tools that may help them overcome cognitive obstacles: I was constantly reflecting. I would say something and think what she could be thinking, and I would hear what I was saying, and I would think whether I could explain it differently.

22. View Point 5 Reflection on the encouragement of tutees to reflect during problem-solving processes • The tutors understanding of the advantages of reflection in problem-solving process, led them to encourage their tutees to reflect as a tool to support and improve their problem-solving processes. For example: If she gives an incorrect solution, and I point that out to her and she does not see it, I tell her to go over her solution and explain what she did till she sees and understands herself, where her mistakes were, and corrects them herself.

23. View Point 6 Reflection as a tool to envision the tutors' future as CS teachers • The tutors also envisioned their expectations as future school teachers. For example: Reflection is very important to my future work as a teacher. Reflection enables to think critically about things I did and to better apply the same task the next time around. When we finished working on the topic of functions, I really felt that I could teach it well.

24. View Point 7 Reflection on the future pupils' understanding • The tutors addressed the toolbox they intend to use to understand their future pupils' difficulties and how they will tailor different approaches to different pupils' ways of thinking. For example: Now I will enter the classroom and I will think that maybe the pupils think that it [a specific CS topic]is [understood] like this… and that [another CS topic]is [understood] like that…

25. View Point 8 Meta reflection: Reflection on reflection processes • The tutors exhibit meta-cognitive skills while reflecting on their own reflection. For example: I love to reflect after any activity of any kind, it really helps me understand. After an unsuccessful attempt at explaining something, I took a moment and thought about what it was that I was trying to explain. I tried to recall previous explanations that I had given. I actually used previous reflections, and chose an example that was based on my previous experience.

26. Quantitative data • The overall evaluation questionnaire included standpoint questions address to reflective processes. Contribution of reflection processes to DFT On a 1-7 scale: 1 - low, 7 – high, n=16

27. “Our question then is not so much whether to reflect as what kind of reflection is most likely to help us get unstuck.” (Schön) Our students showed eight different kind of reflections Back to Schön 

28. The Reflective Practitioner perspective is suitable for teaching processes in general and in CS teaching as well. Our data analysis indicates that the prospective CS teachers adopted the RP perspective as part of: their behavior their learning their tutoring and even take it into their professional development as future CS teachers Summarize

29. It is important to apply the RP aspect in pre-service CS training and to provide prospective CS teachers with tools to encourage their future pupils to do so. Reflective processes are especially important in CS education due to their potential to contribute, promote and improve problem-solving processes. Recommendations

30. Thank you and Questions