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Mandatory Computer Science Teachers' License In Israel, in order to teach com-
puter science in high school, a teacher should have both a Bachelors degree in
computer science and a teaching license in computer science, or, alternatively, a
B.Ed. in computer science education. Only then will he/she be authorized by the
Ministry of Education to teach computer science in high schools 2 . The computer
science teaching diploma can be achieved in two different frameworks:
a. Programs such as the ones described in the “Teacher preparation programs and
inservice training” component of the proposed model (see below).
b. Specific training programs, offered to computer science graduates without a
teaching license and to teachers of another scientific topic who wish to switch
to computer science education. These programs are usually offered after school
hours, or in school vacations.
The importance of this component of the model is acknowledged also by the Com-
puter Science Teachers Association (CSTA), which in its 2013 “Bugs in the System:
Computer Science Teacher Certification in the U.S.” report declares: “This report
reveals that it is difficult to draw broad conclusions about the certification of com-
puter science teachers in the country beyond the fact that it is not working. Each
state has its own process, its own definition of Computer Science, and its own ideas
about where it fits in a young person's educational program (if at all). The report
and what it reveals about these processes form the basis for a number of policy
recommendations:
Establish a system of certification/licensure that ensures that all Computer Sci-
ence teachers have appropriate knowledge of and are prepared to teach the disci-
pline content.”
Teacher Preparation Programs and in-Service Training In most cases, teacher
preparation programs are taught in universities or colleges. The prospective com-
puter science teachers study for a Bachelors degree in computer science while at the
same time take teacher preparation program courses (which are equivalent to one
academic year) during the 4 years of study. The contents of these programs corre-
late with the statement that “beyond the mastery of core computer science material,
good computer science educators should also be familiar with a significant body of
material that will expand their perspectives on the field, and consequently, enhance
the quality of their teaching” (Gal-Ezer and Harel 1998 ).
A typical teacher preparation program includes general pedagogical courses (such
as, psychology and educational philosophy), basic teaching skills, and specific
courses about computer science teaching.
2 In fact, a Masters degree is required for teaching any subject in the Israeli high school system. It
is, however, difficult to meet these requirements and in most cases high school teachers only have
a Bachelors degree. Unfortunately, and as it happens in other countries, some teachers, mainly
those who joined the system many years ago, do not have even a Bachelors degree in computer sci-
ence. They usually have a Bachelors degree in another scientific subject and switched to teaching
 
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