Maker Partnership: A Research Practice Partnership to Integrate Computer Science and Computational Thinking into STEM Instruction

In recent years, there has been a surge of activity aimed at bringing computer science (CS) learning to all students, particularly those who have been historically underrepresented in the CS field. The Maker Partnership is a new collaboration that is designed to build knowledge about how to help elementary teachers integrate CS and computational thinking into their regular science classes using maker pedagogy. The maker approach is based on the engineering design process, with students brainstorming and developing solutions, using technology to create prototypes, and then testing and refining those prototypes together. This study is an evaluation of the implementation of Maker Partnership curriculum and professional development, including the extent to which teachers and schools modify the model to meet their specific contexts and needs. We will also examine outcomes for teachers participating in the program—such as CS content knowledge and instructional practice—and the outcomes of students in participating classrooms, including how the curriculum influences student engagement, interest, and learning. Our study will focus particularly on high-poverty elementary schools that serve large numbers of Black and Latinx students—students who have historically been underrepresented in computer science and STEM education. We hope that our evaluation will generate valuable knowledge about how to prepare elementary grade teachers to successfully incorporate CS and computational thinking into their teaching.