Browsing by Subject "ohjelmoinnin opetus"

Objectives. The aim of the present study is to identify factors influencing primary school teachers' perceptions of their own competence in teaching programming. Programming was included in the Finnish curriculum in 2016 and has consequently not yet been studied in depth. Thus, the factors influencing teachers' competence in this study were initially selected through discourse with teachers and from studies examining the problems in teaching ICT. In this study emotions affecting teaching (enthusiasm, fear/anxiety), previous experiences, other teachers and school administration are treated as factors potentially influencing teachers' competence. Methods. Teachers' evaluations of their attitudes and emotions towards teaching programming as well as background information were obtained using a web-based questionnaire with 7-point Likert and open-ended complementary items. A total of 253 participants completed the questionnaire. The data was analyzed using a mixed methods design which comprised i) conducting a multiple linear regression analysis and ii) qualitative examination of common themes found in open-ended questions. Conclusions. Seven significant predictors to teaching competence were found in multiple regression modelling. Regression analysis determined that the most influential variables to competence were enthusiasm, teacher's awareness of what teaching programming requires of her/him and previous experiences as trainings or trying programming with students. The open-ended questions revealed that teachers emphasized the importance of being able to try new teaching subjects and the need to be explained what is expected of them regarding new procedures as including programming in the curriculum. Importantly, teachers were largely unaware of what teaching programming required of them. Finally, the results indicate that offering possibilities to try programming at school and explaining teachers what it means to teach programming in practice increases teachers' competence.