Abstract

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Countries are increasingly introducing Computer Science as a curriculum subject, but access to learning does not always ensure that all students are included and have the opportunity to succeed. Culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) is a theoretical framework that aims to make learning more equitable by incorporating learners’ cultures and experiences. Work to localise CRP in the UK is ongoing and has highlighted the need for professional development for primary teachers to apply the theory for use with lesson resources. This session will explain in more detail the professional development approach used in a recent research study, and provide a hands-on opportunity to have a go at adapting a short activity to make it more culturally relevant to learners ‘needs.

Speaker:

Katharine Childs works in the Research team at the Raspberry Pi Foundation with a focus on projects that broaden participation in computing such as gender balance and culturally relevant/responsive teaching. Her background spans both computer science and education, with a first-class honours degree in IT & Computing, and a Master’s degree in computing education. Following 15 years of professional experience working in the IT sector, she went on to teach computing in primary (K-5) schools and deliver professional development activities for other primary teachers. Katharine’s research interests focus on gender balance, inclusivity programming and physical computing.