Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Development and Family Science

Major Professor

Lori A. Caudle

Committee Members

Frances K. Harper (co-chair),Margaret Quinn (Texas A & M), Dedric T. Williams, Missy D. Cosby,

Abstract

This qualitative case study investigates how culturally relevant interactions support the development of norms and contribute to computational thinking practices in early computer science education. Drawing on microgenetic methods, this study analyzes video data from two prekindergarten classrooms in a public school engaged in a yearlong research-practice partnership. Through microanalysis, this study examines how Black children and their teachers co-construct sociocomputational norms, defined as shared ways of reasoning and participating in computational learning. Findings show that culturally relevant interactions foster these norms by affirming children’s cultural knowledge, supporting collaborative meaning-making, and positioning children as competent contributors in a computational learning community. This study contributes to research and practice in early childhood computer science education by introducing the construct of sociocomputational norms and demonstrating how culturally relevant interactions can function as an equity-oriented pedagogical approach for designing equitable learning environments that support Black children’s computational thinking and participation.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS