CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRADUATION PROFILES FOR THE INITIAL TRAINING OF COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS IN PANAMA

Authors

  • NADIA DE LEÓN SAUTÚ AIP Educational Research Center of Panama. Panama City, Panama.
  • DELFINA D’ALFONSO AIP Educational Research Center of Panama. Panama City, Panama.
  • KATHIA PITTÍ PATIÑO National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation of Panama. Panama City, Panama.
  • ARQUÍMEDES VARGAS University of the Istmo. Panama City, Panama.

Keywords:

Initial training, computer science teachers, computational thinking, digital competencies, international standards

Abstract

This study examines the initial training of computer science teachers in Panama, focusing on their preparation for teaching computational thinking. The university degrees of a sample of 152 computer science teachers from all educational regions of Panama, except for indigenous reservations, were identified, and the graduation profiles of these degrees were analyzed using the standards for computer science educators and for teaching computational thinking by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) as a comparison framework. It was found that the majority of computer science teachers are trained in technological degree programs with little or no preparation in computer science pedagogy. Even in those programs focused on teaching computer science, there was a low percentage of alignment with ISTE standards, with an almost total absence of those related to computational thinking. This presents challenges for the development of students’ digital competencies in Panama, highlighting the importance of a balance in the initial training of computer science teachers between technical specialization and pedagogical training, and a greater commitment to ensuring that graduating teachers are better prepared to develop the competencies required in the current digital world.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Álvarez Enríquez, G. F. (2021). El enfoque Ciencia - Tecnología – Sociedad en la gestión del talento humano docente. Revista Universidad y Sociedad, 13(1),150-158.http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?pid=s2218-36202021000100150&script=sci_arttext

Chalmers, C. (2018). Robotics and computational thinking in primary school. Int. J. Child Comput. Interact. 17, 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2018.06.005

CIEDU AIP & American University. (2022). Resumen del Diagnóstico de Perfeccionamiento Docente de Panamá. CIEDU AIP. https://ciedupanama.org/como-aprenden-quienes-ensenan/

Csizmadia, A., Standl B. & Waite J. (2019). Integrating the Constructionist Learning Theory with Computational Thinking Classroom Activities. Informatics in Education - An International Journal 1:41-67. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2019.03

D’Alfonso, D., Warren, N., González, E., Rodríguez, A., Pitti, K., & De León, N. (2021). Prácticas docentes de aula en la enseñanza del pensamiento computacional en escuelas medias oficiales y particulares de la región metropolitana de la Ciudad de Panamá. Acción y reflexión educativa, (46), 207-230. https://doi.org/10.48204/j.are.n46a9

Denner, J., Werner, L., Campe, S., & Ortiz, E. (2014). Pair programming: under what conditions is it advantageous for middle school students? J. Res. Technol. Educ. 46, 277–296. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2014.888272

Estrada, R. & Lombardi, M. (2020). Skills and selection into teaching: Evidence from Latin America. CAF - DOCUMENTO DE TRABAJO #2020/06. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/1628

Furber, S. (2012). Shut down or restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools. Technical report, The Royal Society. https://royalsociety.org/~/media/education/computing-in-schools/2012-01-12-computing-in-schools.pdf

Goodwin, K. (2012). Use of tablet technology in the classroom. NSW Department of Education and Communities, 6-93.

Hemmendinger, D. (2010). A plea for modesty. Acm Inroads, 1(2), 4-7. https://doi.org/10.1145/1805724.1805725

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2024a). Standards for Computer Science Educators. https://iste.org/standards

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2024b). Standards for Computer Educators: Computational Thinking Competencies. https://iste.org/standards

Kokotsaki, D., Menzies, V., and Wiggins, A. (2016). Project-based learning: a review of the literature. Improv. Sch. 19, 267–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480216659733

Krauss, S., Brunner, M., Kunter, M., Baumert, J., Blum, W., Neubrand, M., et al. (2008). Pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of secondary mathematics teachers. J. Educ. Psychol. 100:716. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.716

Lye, S. Y., & Koh, J. H. L. (2014). Review on teaching and learning of computational thinking through programming: what is next for K-12? Comput. Hum. Behav. 41, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.09.012

McCray, J. S., & Chen, J. Q. (2012). Pedagogical content knowledge for preschool mathematics: construct validity of a new teacher interview. J. Res. Child. Educ. 26, 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2012.685123

MEDUCA & OCDE (2019). Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de los Estudiantes: Panamá, Ciudad de Panamá, MEDUCA-OCDE. https://www.educapanama.edu.pa/?q=articulos-educativos/articulos/programa-para-la-evaluacion-internacional-de-estudiantes-pisa-panama

Mills, K., Coenraad, M., Ruiz, P., & Burke, Q. (2021). Computational thinking for an inclusive world: a resource for educators to learn and lead. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/138

National Research Council. (2010). Report of a workshop on the scope and nature of computational thinking. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12840/report-of-a-workshop-on-the-scope-and-nature-of-computational-thinking

Papadakis, S. (2018). Is pair programming more effective than solo programming for secondary education novice programmers?: a case study. Int. J. Web Based Learn. Teach. Technol. 13, 1–20. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJWLTT.2018010101

Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: foundations of the new reform. Harv. Educ. Rev. 57, 1–23. http://doi.org/10.17763/haer.57.1.j463w79r56455411

Stager, G. (2005). Papertian constructionism and the design of productive contexts for learning. Proc. of EuroLogo (pp. 43-53). https://stager.org/articles/eurologo2005.pdf

Trust, T. (2018). 2017 ISTE standards for educators: From teaching with technology to using technology to empower learners. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2017.1398980

UNESCO. (2021a). Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo (ERCE 2019): Reporte nacional de Resultados, Panamá. UNESCO https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380251

UNESCO. (2021b). (13 de julio del 2021). Information and communication technology (ICT) in education. IIEP Learning Portal. https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/issue-briefs/improve-learning/information-and-communication-technology-ict-in-education

Universidad de Panamá. (UP). (2024). Carreras: Licenciatura en Informática Aplicada a la Enseñanza e Implementación de Tecnologías. https://facinformatica.up.ac.pa/carreras

Universidad Especializada de las Américas. UDELAS.(s.f.). Licenciatura en Docencia Informática Educativa: Perfil de Egreso. https://www.udelas.ac.pa/en/facultades/facultad-de-educacion-especial-y-pedagogia/ofertas-academicas/licenciatura-en-docencia-informatica-educativa/

Universidad Interamericana de Panamá. (UIP). 2020. Técnico en Programación y Análisis de Sistemas. https://uip.edu.pa/tecnicos/programacion-y-analisis-de-sistemas/

Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá. (UTP). (2024). Licenciatura en Informática Aplicada a la Educación. https://fisc.utp.ac.pa/licenciatura-en-informatica-aplicada-la-educacion

Wing, J.M. (2006). Computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33-35. https://bit.ly/2ASUK9Q

Zeng, Y., Yang, W., & Bautista, A. (2023). Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1252718. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1252718

Zhang, Y. (2015). Pedagogical content knowledge in early mathematics: what teachers know and how it associates with teaching and learning. Dissertations. 1499 https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/1499/

Downloads

Published

2025-01-31

How to Cite

DE LEÓN SAUTÚ, N., D’ALFONSO, D., PITTÍ PATIÑO, K., & VARGAS , A. (2025). CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRADUATION PROFILES FOR THE INITIAL TRAINING OF COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHERS IN PANAMA. Key People, 9(1), 9–30. Retrieved from http://revistas.ulatina.edu.pa/index.php/genteclave/article/view/423

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 1 (2025): Key People

Section

Artículos

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

El contenido de las publicaciones son responsabilidad absoluta de los autores y no de la Universidad ni de la revista Gente Clave, que es editada por la Universidad Latina de Panamá.  La revista permite a los autores mantener el derecho de autor sobre los articulos y documentos publicados mediante el uso de la siguiente licencia.

Los artículos se publican con una licencia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es

Bajo los siguientes términos:

  • Atribución — Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada, brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.

  • NoComercial — Usted no puede hacer uso del material con propósitos comerciales.

  • CompartirIgual — Si remezcla, transforma o crea a partir del material, debe distribuir su contribución bajo la misma licencia del original.