Leveraging Prior Pedagogy: A Case Study of an Out-of-Field Teacher Adapting to After-School CS
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Roe, Elliot Benjamin
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Abstract
After-school programs are vital for broadening STEM participation, particularly for underrepresented youth, yet face significant staffing shortages, especially in Computer Science (CS). This thesis investigates the potential of hiring out-of-field (OOF) teachers to address this gap through a qualitative case study of one elementary school teacher with no prior CS experience teaching in an after-school CS program.
Using classroom observations, instructor reflections, and semi-structured interviews, the study explored how the instructor's OOF status and prior pedagogical knowledge (PK) influenced her teaching within the informal after-school environment. Findings indicate that while the instructor faced challenges typical of OOF teaching, such as limited CS content knowledge, difficulty with technical vocabulary, and debugging, she successfully leveraged her extensive PK from teaching kindergarten. Strategies like strong classroom management, differentiation, adaptability, and connecting content to student interests proved crucial.
The unique after-school environment, characterized by student choice, prominent social dynamics, and the instructor holding multiple roles (teacher, coach), significantly shaped her approach, demanding a focus on engagement and relationship-building for program sustainability. The instructor's high teaching self-efficacy and strong PK appeared to mitigate the negative effects often associated with OOF teaching.
This study suggests that pedagogical expertise can be as critical as content knowledge for OOF instructors in after-school CS programs. It highlights the importance of student engagement for sustainability in voluntary learning settings and offers insights into how OOF teachers adapt existing knowledge, informing recruitment practices and professional development design for such programs.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis