Tools, Languages, and Environments Used in Primary and Secondary Computing Education

Abstract

With the advent of teaching primary and secondary computing education, tools, languages, and environments (TLEs) are important pedagogical support systems for students and teachers. While there are a number of resources available for teaching K-12 students and teachers, there is little synthesis of the data with respect to usage and adoption rates for various TLEs. Using data extracted from 510 articles related to K-12 education, we conducted an analysis using descriptive statistics to determine what TLEs in K-12 are most frequently studied by researchers. We found 193 TLEs being used in research studies and experience reports, then differentiate between these two types of data and between students and teacher professional development. This preliminary research provides a first descriptive analysis of TLEs being used in K-12 space and simultaneously sets the stage for creating a classification system for TLEs based on the literature, including how they are used and what topics (in or outside of computing education) they are used to teach.