A Longitudinal Analysis of K-12 Computing Education Research in the United States

Abstract

The availability of computer science education in primary and secondary schools in the United States has grown rapidly over the last decade. Computing education research in K-12 has been increasing as well. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of seven years of data (2012-2018), curated from over 500 articles across 10 publication venues to identify trends in K-12 computing education research such as geographic location and curriculum and concepts taught. The data shows a decrease in the number of studies covering K-12 students receiving computing education even while there is an increase in the number of states adopting and implementing standards. The number of different concepts being researched is increasing, potentially reflecting the growth in what is being taught in the classroom. Demographic data is underreported (e.g., socio-economic status (SES) and disabilities of participants) which could directly limit generalizability of the studies to different learners as well as the ability to replicate and compare studies. We conclude with recommendations for how to better position this work for others trying to use the results to guide their efforts in creating standards or adopting techniques into their classrooms.