Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions and Classroom Implementation of STEM–Computational Thinking Following Professional Development in Ghana

Abstract

Integrating computational thinking into mathematics education offers opportunities to strengthen learners’ problem-solving, reasoning, pattern recognition, abstraction, and conceptual understanding. However, evidence remains limited on how practising senior high school mathematics teachers implement STEM–Computational Thinking approaches after professional development and how they perceive their contribution to students’ conceptual understanding, particularly in the Ghanaian context. The study examined the impact of a STEM–Computational Thinking (STEM–CT) instructional approach on teachers’ perceptions of students’ conceptual understanding and classroom implementation of STEM–CT practices following a structured professional development programme. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 61 mathematics teachers from five public second-cycle institutions in the Central Region of Ghana were selected through convenience and purposive sampling. Data were collected using pre- and post-workshop questionnaires, a structured classroom observation rubric, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, classroom observation data using frequencies and percentages, and qualitative data using thematic analysis. The findings showed a significant difference between teachers’ pre- and post-implementation responses regarding students’ conceptual understanding. However, post-implementation ratings were lower than initial ratings, suggesting a shift from anticipated expectations to more experience-based judgements. Classroom observations showed strong implementation of STEM–CT practices, particularly pattern recognition and abstraction, while decomposition was also widely implemented and algorithmic thinking and structured reasoning showed greater variation. Qualitative findings indicated that teachers associated STEM–CT implementation with real-world contextualisation, hands-on activities, step-by-step reasoning, pattern recognition, and problem-based learning, which they perceived as supporting students’ engagement with mathematical concepts and relationships. The study concludes that structured STEM–CT professional development can support teachers’ classroom implementation of computational thinking practices, although their post-implementation perceptions were more cautious than their initial expectations. Sustained professional development and continued support for classroom integration are recommended.