Chapter 2: Teacher Co-Design in a CS for all Research-Practice Partnership: Curriculum Development and Teacher Learning

In this chapter, we present work from the first year of a 4-year research practice partnership devoted to integrating computational thinking (CT) into elementary curriculum in a mid-size school district in the Northeast. Our approach to curricular integration is to engage participating teachers in professional development (PD) related to computer science (CS) and CT and to support them in the activity of co-design. Working in pairs, teachers developed modules that integrated CT into elementary level science lessons. We conducted case study analysis of this process as it related to curriculum design and teacher learning. Results indicate that the practice of co-design highlighted the need to create curricula that is flexible enough to be adapted to specific classroom contexts and allow for differentiation. Results also revealed productive tensions related to differences in pedagogical practices among the teachers involved in the co-design. At the conclusion of the chapter, we discuss next steps, especially concerning PD and research.