teacher education computational thinking coding 3C model pedagogy
The integration of digital technologies into teacher education is a significant development to prepare educators for the demands of contemporary classrooms. However, current teacher education programs often fall short in supporting pre-service teachers to understand the pedagogical shift toward embedding coding and computational thinking (CT) skills. In response, this paper presents the 3C Model (Context, Capabilities and Computational focus), a research-informed pedagogical framework designed to support pre-service and in-service teachers in delivering structured, curriculum-aligned instruction in coding and CT. Drawing on recent research, its findings, and its implementation in teacher education contexts, the 3C Model is presented as an innovative and adaptable instructional approach, supported by an activity sequencing guide and example cross-curricular lesson plans. Grounded in established learning theories, the model addresses limitations in existing frameworks while providing practical guidance for application in classroom contexts. Prior initial investigations within teacher education coursework offer preliminary insights into the model’s utility in supporting pre-service teachers’ pedagogical development and readiness to teach coding and CT skills.
Details
Title
Advancing digital technology teacher education through the 3C model
Authors
Peter Curtis - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Michael D Carey - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Natalie McMaster (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
David A Martin - Edith Cowan University
Publication details
Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research , Vol.15(1), pp.1-19
Publisher
Universidad de Alicante, Grupo de Investigacion EDUTIC - ADEI
Date published
2026
DOI
10.1007/s44322-026-00056-1
ISSN
2254-7339
Copyright note
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Data Availability
There was no data collected for this study. Supplementary materials are available on the OSF data repository.
Organisation Unit
Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Education and Tertiary Access
Language
English
Record Identifier
991206279102621
Output Type
Journal article
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Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas
Education & Educational Research
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