ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ

Evaluation shows that Co-Teach Computer Science is effective in providing continuity of computer science education

The final report of the evaluation of Co-Teach Informatica has recently been . Co-Teach Informatica, a programme run by the Freudenthal Institute as lead partner, was developed in response to the acute shortage of computer science teachers in secondary education. Through this innovative programme, schools without a qualified computer science teacher can still offer computer science as a subject. Over the past period, the programme has proven to make a valuable contribution to computer science education and provide an innovative solution to the teacher shortage.

Co-Teach Informatica

Co-Teach Informatica offers schools that do not have (or no longer have) a specialist computer science teacher the opportunity to still offer the subject. The programme has three pillars. Firstly, there is an online learning platform, which is moderated by computer science teaching assistants. During the classroom process, pupils are guided by a "differently qualified" teacher (i.e., not a computer science teacher). Finally, pupils receive a series of elective topics through guest lectures from IT professionals from the business sector. Co-Teach Informatica ensures that secondary school pupils experience the world of computer science in an innovative way and acquire digital knowledge and skills that are valuable for any further education. After all, in our increasingly digitalising world, digital skills and literacy are invaluable. The pilot phase of the programme has been running for the past 4 years based on a subsidy from the ministry. In total, 23 schools have participated in the pilot and more than 1,800 pupils have attended CTI lessons.

Results from the evaluation report

The evaluation shows that the programme is effective in providing continuity in computer science education. The report demonstrates that Co-Teach Informatica enables schools to shape this important subject despite the teacher shortage. The programme has contributed to mitigating the decline in the number of schools offering computer science education.

Stakeholders are predominantly positive about the content of the programme. Improvements are possible in the teaching materials and the online platform. The evaluation, carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, points to several bottlenecks, such as challenges in recruiting schools and guest teachers, and organisational implementation. An important conclusion is that ownership within the school and a suitable teacher are crucial for the success of the programme.

The complete evaluation report contains extensive information about the research approach, results, lessons learnt and recommendations. The insights are relevant not only for computer science education but also for other subjects with teacher shortages. The full report can be read .

Next steps

After the successful completion of the pilot period, Co-Teach Informatica is currently in a transitional phase, while participating schools continue with the programme. The next steps for the programme will be taken within the ''Onderwijsregio's'' (education regions).

The pilot has laid a solid, promising foundation and provides a clear direction for further development. The pilot experiences will be transferred to the education regions where regional parties work together to address teacher shortages in education. By addressing and incorporating the existing foundations and areas for improvement at the regional cooperation level, the concept can be further refined and optimised for future implementation.