Computer science teacher professional development and professional learning communities: a review of the research literature

• Published in: Computer science education Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 29 - 60
• Main Authors: Ni, Lijun, Bausch, Gillian, Benjamin, Rebecca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Norwood Routledge 02.01.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Capacity Building; Communities of Practice; Computer science; Computer Science Education; computer science teachers; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Secondary Education; Faculty Development; Learning; Literature reviews; Professional development; professional learning community; Professional Training; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Programming; review study; Science Teachers; Secondary School Teachers; Teacher Collaboration; Teacher Improvement; Teacher professional development; Teachers; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 0899-3408; 1744-5175
• DOI: 10.1080/08993408.2021.1993666

Many efforts have been dedicated to building computer science (CS) teacher capacity through offering professional development (PD) programs. Previous reviews indicated the need to offer more continual support for teachers. Recent research has shifted its focus to scaling up PD and sustaining teaching capacity by establishing PLCs for CS teachers. This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review of recent research on K-12 CS teacher PD, with an explicit exploration of PLCs. Based on 48 selected articles of 41 programs, this study explored features that contributed to the effectiveness of PD, including (1) PD goals, (2) theoretical frameworks and PD models, (3) curriculum and pedagogy, (4) programming tools, (5) program structure and approach, and (6) PD evaluation. We also examined whether and how these programs were dedicated to establishing PLCs. Findings indicate a considerable increase in the number of studies on CS teacher PD . More programs saw the promising roles of PLCs and explored a variety of approaches for community building and promoting teacher learning. PLCs have immense potential for teacher development, including breaking teacher isolation and fostering collaboration. More research can enlighten the efforts for CS teacher preparation and development.