Empowering Future Educators: Enhancing Computational Thinking Competencies in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The study examined pre-service teachers' perceptions, interests, confidence levels, and practical application of computational thinking (CT). The research incorporated CT professional development within the Methods and Content of Teaching Mathematics course tailored for elementary pre-service teachers. Findings from the study revealed a significant increase in both perception and competency in CT. Although there was no statistically significant improvement in their interest in CT, substantial advancements were noted in their ability to apply CT within mathematics lesson design. Pre-service teachers showed a preference for algorithms, followed by decomposition, pattern recognition, and abstraction when designing math activities. Furthermore, the research underscores the positive impact of CT professional development, with an improvement in pre-service teachers' ability to infuse real-world applications and adopt an inter-curricular approach in their lesson designs.