Didactical Strategies Employed by Teachers When Teaching Programming in K-9 Education

Development of computational thinking, digital competence and 21stcentury skills when learning programming in K-9

“…The teachers worked with programming on their own initiative before the formal introduction of programming in the Swedish curriculum. In a previous article (Nouri, Norén, & Skog, 2018), we concluded that the teachers used four didactic strategies when teaching programming, namely analogue programming, programming with RoBots (BeeBots and BlueBots) and Apps, block programming and text-based programming. These four didactic strategies follow a line of progression and can also be considered programming levels.…”

“…For instance, the teachers highlighted that pupils develop an understanding of fundamental computational concepts, such as algorithms, variables, loops and conditionals, when exposed to activities on all four programming levels, i.e. analogue programming, programming with RoBots, block programming and textbased programming (Nouri et al, 2018). According to the teachers, these activities also support pupils in developing skills related to fundamental computational practices, such as abstracting/modularizing, reusing code and debugging code, as well as skills related to computational perspectives, such as expressing oneself and connecting with others by sharing and building on others' work.…”

“…First, by working with the didactic strategies mentioned by the teachers, i.e. analogue programming, programming with RoBots, block programming and text-based programming, enacted in the way the teachers reported (see Nouri et al, 2018), pupils actually develop meaningful CT skills that the teachers either might not possess fully themselves or that they are not aware of. We, therefore, with some certainty, determine that there is a rather symmetric knowledge relation, at least in comparison with traditional subjects, between teachers and pupils regarding the CT skills developed.…”