Research in Computer Science Education - Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-Based Approach - page 68

Table 4.4 Reflective task on the researcher's point of view
Reflection on the “teacher as a researcher” activity
What did you learn from the “teacher as a resellarcher” activity?
How were you contributed from this activity with respect to your future work as a
computer science teacher?
In your opinion, can you use any part of the activity with your future learners?
Activity 29: Reflection on Reading a Computer Science Education Paper,
Homework
The target of this homework activity is to expose the prospective computer
science teachers to a comprehensive paper that deals with the uniqueness of
computer science teaching (Gal-Ezer and Harel 1998 ). It is suggested that
the work on this paper may develop the professional identity of the prospec-
tive computer science teachers. See Table 4.5 .
The paper explores different types of knowledge that a computer sci-
ence teacher should master, and is actually related to the essence of the
PCK with respect to computer science teaching (Shulman 1986 , 1990 ).
Since the paper relates to a bird's eye view of the field, it is recommended
to give this activity to the students as a summary task of the subject of
research in computer science education (i.e., after at least one of the previ-
ous activities has been facilitated). It is also recommended to follow the
students' individual work with a class discussion, including the instructor's
contribution.
Table 4.5 Reading and reflection on a fundamental computer science education paper
Worksheet
Read the paper: Gal-Ezer and Harel ( 1998 )
Choose two of the subjects explored in the paper that in your opinion are the most
significant for a computer science teacher. Explain your selection
In your opinion, does the “teacher as a researcher” activity fit any of the categories that
the paper proposes? If it does, indicate the specific category and explain your choice.
If in your opinion the “teacher as a researcher” activity does not belong to any of the
categories mentioned in the paper, suggest a new category to which it belongs, explain
its uniqueness, and define it
Here is a suggestion for a possible extension of the task:
Read the paper: Gal-Ezer and Zur ( 2013 )
Summarize its main messages