Data Science & AI Lecture Series
From Self-Efficacy to Systemic Change: Building an Equitable Computing Education Research Program
Erdogan Kaya
From Self-Efficacy to Systemic Change: Building an Equitable Computing Education Research Program
| When | Friday, March 27, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (MT) |
|---|---|
| Where | Evans Conference room (WEB 3780) |
Abstract
This talk examines a foundational question in computational STEM education: to what extent can targeted interventions improve pre-service elementary teachers’ computational thinking teaching efficacy beliefs? I present a study of pre-service elementary teachers who participated in a three-week CT intervention integrating EV3 robotics, Code.org, and Zoombinis. Using the CTTEBI in a pre-post design, results show significant gains in personal CT teaching efficacy, pointing to important directions for future work. I then present my current AI education research program, including the “Educate AI” project developing AI literacy curriculum through linguistically inclusive elementary robotics, the Rural AI project integrating AI concepts for rural upper elementary students, and the Compose with AI platform guiding grades 4-8 students in critically evaluating AI-generated content. I will also discuss my emerging research agenda, including several NSF proposals under review focused on AI literacy across K-16 settings. I close with a vision for how University of Utah’s collaborative structure across the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, and partner departments represents an ideal ecosystem to advance this agenda.
Speaker
Erdogan Kaya
Dr. Kaya holds a joint appointment with the College of Education and the Division of Data Science at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is an assistant professor of computing education with a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering, and an M.S. in Machine Learning Engineering from George Mason University. His research focuses on AI literacy, computational thinking, and computing education through equity lenses. He has secured more than $5 million in external research funding from NSF, Amazon, and Google, and has developed projects including the Educate AI curriculum, the Rural AI initiative, and the Compose with AI platform. Dr. Kaya advocates for research, teaching, and learning as a unified enterprise that benefits students and society. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award and the ASEE Southeastern Section Outstanding New Teacher Award, and has contributed to educational outreach programs including Code.org and FIRST Robotics competitions.
Tags: education fairness & ethics robotics
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