Exploring teachers' attitudes towards object oriented modelling and programming in secondary schools

Abstract

In the year 2004, Bavaria (one of the 16 federal states of Germany) started an innovative subject "Informatics" in its highest type of secondary schools (Gymnasiums). It is comprised of a compulsory stage (grades 6-10), which is followed by an eligible course in grades 11 and 12. The curriculum of the course is based on the "objects first" (or better "modelling first") approach. All relevant object-oriented concepts are introduced and used in the context of standard software, before the students write their first object-oriented program. In July 2009 the first class completed the compulsory stage. We evaluated the experiences of this first run in December 2009 by a large scale study about the teachers' opinions about and attitude towards this new subject. In this paper we present some of the first results that partly were obtained using cluster analysis. The results show, that our approach to the curriculum is accepted by the teachers. Additionally, we used the results of clustering to identify typical response patterns, leading to a characterization of the teachers.

Process-related competence areas to computer science education: An empirical determination

“…The results of this study support the relevant literature, particularly concerning problem solving and algorithmic thinking (Fadi & McHugh, 2001, Muller & Haberman, 2008, system-level-perspective (Gal-Ezer & Zeldes, 2000;Ricks & Jackson, 2009), modelling (Mühling, Hubwieser, & Brinda 2010). They can be used for consolidating available curricular drafts for computer science as a teaching subject at school of the type available in many countries or currently in the state of revision, e.g., for England and Wales, Scotland, the USA, Israel, New Zealand, Germany, India, South Korea, Greece.…”

Computer Science Education in Secondary Schools -- The Introduction of a New Compulsory Subject

“…We had 448 teachers answer the online questionnaire more or less completely. As reported in Mühling et al [2010], we found four interesting clusters of teachers as far as their attitudes towards our objects-first concept is concerned. According to their specific preferences, we called them "office users" (25%), "fans of the curriculum" (44%), "anti-programmers" (13%), or "traditional computer scientists" (18%).…”

“…As far as we have evidence about the success of this conception, this is presented in Section 6. Particularly from the teachers we received quite positive reactions, which might be indicated by the fact that our cluster analysis of their attitudes towards the curriculum [Mühling et al 2010] showed that the largest cluster by far (44%) consist of "fans of the curriculum" or by the contentedness and the missing of any suggestions to change the conception according to the survey of the state institute ISB from 2011 [ISB 2012] (see Section 6 for both surveys).…”

“…In Hubwieser [2007a] and Hubwieser [2008] I discussed specific issues concerning the part of object-oriented modeling and programming that fills grade 10 and the first months of grade 11. First results of the project were presented in Mühling et al [2010] and Steer and Hubwieser [2010].…”

Computer science/informatics in secondary education

“…As far as the new subject Informatics in the same country is concerned, research has just begun. In the same country a survey among the Informatics teachers [52] was conducted in autumn 2009. About 500 answered the online questionnaire.…”