Computing Empowerment

This page aims to provide an insight into the theory, literature and research that this resource is supported and build using. This background information has been categorised into the above categories, which contain a summary of the topic and how it links to this site, and links to relevant literature and documents.

The content on this page is for the purpose of explanation, and is not part of the support resources on the site.

In order to model teachers motivation this resource is using Expectancy Value Theory developed by Eccles, S., et al. While this theory was developed to model learner's motivation, it can be used to model a teacher’s motivation to teach a subject because there is a significant learner journey involved with teaching anything, especially when teaching an unknown subject.

This theory explores motivation based on two primary factors, expectation (of success) and value (of learning). These factors effect a learner's achievements, effort and persistence of a given task which in this context is computing science lessons. The theory then further divides value into sub-factors, which are defined below, alongside specialised descriptions of how they fit into a teaching context.

Attainment Value (Importance): The importance of doing well in a given task.
Both the level of importance that a teacher feels to do well in the delivery of the computing curriculum, and how measurable that success factor is for the teacher to understand and gauge their success. Both personal and institutional (eg their School).
Intrinsic Value: The enjoyment obtained from performing a given task, as measured by the teacher, measuring their enjoyment when creating and delivering computing lessons.
Utility Value (Usefulness): How well a task fits into future plans and goals.
How useful the content and skills taught though computing education, are thought to be for a teachers students, both in their current education and beyond. Their perception of the enjoyment their students will have for computing lessons.
Cost: How one task may limit engagement in others, how much effort is required and emotional cost.

References

The Expectancy-Value-Cost Survey is an adaptable and brief method to gain an understanding of a learner's motivation as modeled by Expectancy Value Theory. The survey asks 3-4 questions per category (in a random order) to generate a motivational score for Expectancy, Value and Cost of engaging in a specified task, in this resource teaching Computing. A low score in this survey is not a negative reflection on personal abilities or attitudes.

The survey can be used during a number of stages during the learning journey, with this resource using it during the beginning to model the best path forward, identifying the resources to focus on.

While the survey was initially designed for school students, for this resource it has been adapted to work with teachers, using the same justification as Expectancy Value Theory, that teaching a new subject is a learning journey in itself.

References

There are a number of perceived motivational challenges identified by Expectancy Value Theory, that teachers may face around Computing Science. This resource aims to address some of these challenges. It should be noted that experiencing these challenges is not a negative reflection on your own abilities and attitudes, but based on a number of environmental factors and issues.

Challenges to Perceived Value: The computing curriculum is a small area, and therefore can be perceived as having limited scope and importance
Teachers may not be aware of the skills that computing develops for their students
Teachers may not be aware of the benefits of integrating computing with other subjects
Computing requires a large amount of prep time taking away from other subjects
Teachers may believe that students might find the content boring, and that they are unable to make it engaging
There is a lack of awareness of computing resources for the Scottish curriculum
Teachers may feel isolated and unsupported when teaching computing
Teachers may be cautious about computing
Expectation of Success: Lack of subject knowledge or formal computing education
Lack of support and debugging skills
Lack of awareness of materials and resources

References

Report

There are a number of pain points with the current Broad General Education [BGE] Computing Science curriculum in Scotland. These pain points relate to both the limited and repetitive experience of pupils and the challenges that primary school teachers face when attempting to formulate lessons. These are not limited to Scottish curriculum and are faced by other curriculum frameworks.

Vague and Undetailed: Lack of detail in the curriculum specification, making is challenging for teachers to interpret.
Restricted Time: Limited time in Computing Science makes it difficult to gain and build skills and conceptual understanding.
Lack of Teacher Understanding: Teachers do not have an adequate understanding of or formal education in Computing, and therefore struggle to teach it effectively.
Technical Language: While the curriculum uses less subject specific language than other frameworks, it still makes use of terms that without definition, teachers may struggle to understand.
Lack of Justification: While Computing Science can be used to develop and build a number of core foundational skills for use in multiple areas, this is not always known by teachers.

References

Report

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Framework and Explanation