PRESCHOOL TEACHER BELIEFS TOWARDS COMPUTER SCIENCE LEARNING PROMOTION IN SCHOOLS UNDER THE OFFICE OF THE BASIC EDUCATION COMMISSION

Abstract

This research aims to examine preschool teachers' beliefs toward computer science learning promotion in three dimensions: (1) learning objectives, (2) learning management, and (3) teacher's role. The participants comprised 476 preschool teachers (Kindergarten 1-3) from schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission across four regions of Thailand, namely Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern regions, selected through multi-stage random sampling. The research instrument was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.95. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that teachers' beliefs toward computer science learning promotion were at a high level overall (M = 4.48, SD = 0.38). When examined by dimension, the highest mean score was found in learning management (M = 4.50, SD = 0.40), followed by the teacher's role (M = 4.49, SD = 0.39), and learning objectives (M = 4.46, SD = 0.41), respectively. The results indicated that preschool teachers held positive beliefs toward computer science learning promotion, particularly regarding the organization of learning materials and environments. However, teachers demonstrated limited understanding of learning objectives, especially in unplugged coding activities and learning assessment, which require further professional development.