Computer programming and coding skills in national, regional or school curricula

Katja Engelhardt, European Schoolnet

The governing bodies of European Schoolnet are composed by the Ministries of Education who are full members of the network.

Members: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and UK

Membership under consideration: Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Romania

Observer status: Bulgaria, Germany

ABOUT EUROPEAN SCHOOLNET

ABOUT THE SURVEY

• What do Ministries’ currently think about the topic?

• Curricula integration

• Assessment

• Future Plans

• Training provisions

• Initiatives

WHAT IS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING?

Computer programming is the process of developing and implementing various sets of instructions to enable a computer to perform a certain task, solve problems and provide human interactivity.

These instructions (source codes which are written in a programminglanguage) are considered computer programs and help the computer to operate smoothly.

For the purpose of this report both terms computing and coding are used interchangebly and refer to activities enabling children not onlyto know how to use specific programmes but to programme computers, tablets, or other electronic devices.

20 PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

Belgium (Flanders), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and UK (England)

MAIN FINDINGS

Key Data from the survey….

CURRENT INTEGRATION AND FUTURE PLANS

Yes (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, United Kingdom)

It is planned (Belgium Flanders, Finland, France, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey)

What is happening? (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden)

RATIONALE FOR INTEGRATING CODING

Fostering logical thinking skills, coding skills and problem solving skills (15 or 14 countries)

Employability and studying computer science (10 countries)

CURRENT CURRICULUM INTEGRATION (AND FUTURE)

mostly integrated at upper secondary education (9 countries)

taught at primary level in Estonia, Greece, UK (England)

Compulsory (x) in 7 countries, (where it is already integrated)

mostly integrated within general ICT course (9 countries)

Detailed examples in the report

ASSESSMENT

Countries, which have integrated coding in the curriculum, also assess it

as part of the ICT exam on a daily basis as part of the general assessment process

by teachers end term exams via curriculum goal in specific subjects description of learning outcomes qualifications and certifications

CHANGES

Countries, which have integrated coding in the curriculum foresee changes:

Cyprus: curriculum reform will reinforce algorithmic thinking and programming in the first year of secondary education

Czech Republic: New strategy for Digital Education 2020 Denmark: IT subject will be offered by a majority of upper

secondary schools Lithuania/Poland integrating coding programming in

primary education

TRAINING

9 Countries, which have integrated coding in the curriculum, already offer in service or pre-service training but to various extents (BG, CY, CZ, EE, IE, IT; LT, PT, UK (England)

Cyprus and Ireland: ICT related training is compulsory for incoming teachers

Case study UK (England)! Summer courses in different regions in Spain (Navarra,

Galicia)

14 Countries have reported on other initiatives with a focus on teaching coding/programming

Detailed examples in the report

COLLABORATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS

12 countries have reported on their collaboration with a variety of key stakeholders:

Industry partnerships Sector organisations Computer society clubs Teachers and subject associations Universities

-> Awareness raising, coding clubs, working groups competitions…

Detailed examples in the report

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Digital skills are a key priority A higher profile for coding in the curriculum Getting teachers alongside Forerunners: Greece, Estonia, Ireland, UK (England)

support teachersconsider new assessment approachesdevelop more awareness activitiesengage with stakeholders (e.g. dialogue platform with policy makers)promote and scale up initiatives from industry, NGO’s…

Think, create, innovate, shape