Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Computer Science (CR in CS)

In Fall 2017, New Mexico enacted legislation that will recognize one computer science course as satisfying a high school science or math graduation requirement, adopted CS standards in 2018, and allocated funding dedicated to CS PD, mainly supporting K-8 initiatives. With this new emphasis on CS education in NM, there is a critical need for NM HS CS teachers to enrich the experience of CS students from underserved communities.

This project will establish a design-based implementation research partnership between the Computer Science Alliance, the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) New Mexico Chapter, and researchers from New Mexico State University and the National Indian Education Association. Together, the team will hold a series of convenings to co-design, gather feedback from stakeholders, and ultimately pilot a culturally responsive pedagogy-focused microcredential.

With the long term goal of equitable and rigorous CS instruction for all students in New Mexico, especially students who identify as Hispanic and/or Native American, this partnership will support computer science teachers’ growth towards mastery of the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers, specifically focusing on increasing their use of culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices. This project is jointly funded by the CSforAll:Research Practitioner Partnership program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This research- practitioner partnership (RPP), involving the leadership from the Computer Science Alliance, the Computer Science Teachers Association New Mexico Chapter, and researchers from New Mexico State University and the National Indian Education Association will support CS teachers’ growth towards mastery of the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers, focusing on increasing their use of culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices. By leveraging the pre-existing relationships between all RPP members and their respective networks across NM, the project will convene stakeholders representing experienced and new CS teachers, equity-focused organizations, administrators/colleges of education, and industry leaders who will inform a culturally responsive pedagogy in CS microcredential tailored to the needs of Hispanic and Native American students in NM.

The RPP will recruit a small group of teachers to experience pieces of a professional development sequence, use the strategies in their actual CS classrooms, and submit lesson plans in which exemplars will be archived for future dissemination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.