Constructionist experiences in teacher professional development: a tale of five years

Computational thinking and coding have recently become compulsory elements in the Australian K-8 curriculum that should be taught using ‘authentic learning challenges’ (ACARA, 2018a). However, very few teachers, particularly in the primary school setting, have been schooled on computational thinking or coding and rarely possess pedagogies to teach them authentically. A range of professional development opportunities are currently being offered to impart this knowledge, both for content and pedagogy. In this paper, we provide an account of the evolution we have experienced when designing and improving professional development workshops for teachers in coding and computational thinking. We reflect on our challenges and successes, and attest that it was only after ‘discovering’ Constructionism in late 2015 that we have been able to prepare activities that truly emulate the authentic learning experiences that teachers are required to use in their classrooms.