Evaluating pre-service primary school teachers’ didactic knowledge in mathematics through the planning of exploratory teaching practices integrating computational thinking

A study evaluated the didactic knowledge of pre-service primary school teachers in mathematics, specifically concerning their ability to plan exploratory teaching practices that integrate Computational Thinking (CT). This research, conducted in Portugal, assessed teachers' knowledge at three stages during a training program, emphasizing the design of tasks promoting CT dimensions like abstraction and decomposition, within the context of lesson planning.

Why it matters

This research is strategically important because it addresses the critical need for educators to integrate contemporary skills like Computational Thinking into foundational curricula. It highlights the complexity of teacher training and curriculum development, which directly impacts the future workforce's analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Key insights

• Lesson planning is identified as a complex and central professional practice in teacher education.
• Effective lesson planning requires the integrated application of various types of didactic knowledge in mathematics.
• The Portuguese Mathematics curriculum now includes Computational Thinking, necessitating teacher preparedness in this area.
• The study evaluates pre-service teachers' didactic knowledge in mathematics across multiple points (Pre-Intervention, Post-Intervention I, and Post-Intervention II) within a training program.
• The evaluation method involves assessing teachers' planning of Exploratory Teaching Practices that incorporate tasks designed to develop CT dimensions, such as abstraction.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1918422