High School Computer Science Teacher Preparation Programs - Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-Based Approach - page 261

Fig. 15.1 A model for high school computer science education
• Computer science is a full-fledged scientific subject. It should be taught in high
school on par with other scientific subjects.
• The program concentrates on the key concepts and foundations of the field.
• Each of the two versions of the curriculum has mandatory units and electives.
• Conceptual and experimental issues are interwoven throughout the curriculum.
• A well-equipped and well-maintained computer laboratory is mandatory.
• New course text books and teaching guides must be written for all parts of the
program.
• Teachers certified to teach the subject must have adequate formal computer sci-
ence education. An undergraduate degree in computer science is a mandatory
requirement, as is a formal teachers' certificate program of studies.
In addition, the national curriculum describes the rationale of high school com-
puter science education and lays out the topics taught in each unit of the program.
Text books and teaching guides are provided for each unit. The teaching guides
specify pedagogical aspects of the given topics, such as guidelines for designers of
teaching and learning material, recommended lesson plans, solutions for selected
exercises presented in the pupils' text books, additional problems to offer to the
pupils, plausible learners' dificulties, and additional clariications related to the
learning material.