A Framework for Computational Thinking Dispositions in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This theoretical article describes a framework to conceptualize computational thinking (CT) dispositions—tolerance for ambiguity, persistence, and collaboration—and facilitate integration of CT in mathematics learning. CT offers a powerful epistemic frame that, by foregrounding core dispositions and practices useful in computer science, helps students understand mathematical concepts as outward oriented. The article conceptualizes the characteristics of CT dispositions through a review of relevant literature and examples from a study that explored secondary mathematics teachers' engagement with CT. Discussion of the CT framework highlights the complementary relationship between CT and mathematical thinking, the relevance of mathematics to 21st-century professions, and the merit of CT to support learners in experiencing these connections.