The Teacher Inquiry in Computing Education (TICE) programme, led by the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre and supported by Computing At School, launched this month for the third time, continuing its mission to empower educators through action research.
Following the application process over the summer, we are delighted to welcome 19 teachers to the 2024/25 TICE programme. It’s the beginning of a journey that will end in July 2025 as they engage in research that directly impacts their practice and their students.
Our new cohort represents a diverse group of teachers from both primary and secondary schools, joining us from locations as varied as Guernsey, Kent, and York. This geographical and institutional diversity ensures that the research conducted will span the full spectrum of Computing education—from introducing the subject to young learners to supporting advanced students from different socio-economic backgrounds.
One of the programme’s key strengths is the commitment and expertise of our volunteer mentors. They bring a wealth of experience to the program, guiding the teachers from the initial stages of refining the research question for each of their teachers and offering support throughout the year. Their support is flexible and tailored to the needs of each participant—whether offering specific research advice or simply acting as a sounding board for new ideas. As a mentor in previous TICE projects, I’ve gained new insights into teaching practices, showing that this is very much a collaborative learning experience.
At the kickoff meeting earlier this week, we were excited to hear the range of topics being considered by this year’s participants. Some of the key areas of focus include:
- Bridging the diversity gap in Computing
- Sustaining interest in Computing during the transition from primary to secondary education
- Leveraging AI to reduce teacher workload
- How AI tools influence students’ acquisition of coding skills
- Fostering creativity and resilience in A-Level Computing students
- Supporting students with ADHD in Computer Science
It’s no surprise that Artificial Intelligence is a central theme for many participants, given its growing influence in education and potential to reshape teaching practices.
For several of our participants, this will be their first experience with formal research. While the process can be challenging, it’s also incredibly rewarding. Engaging in critical inquiry offers teachers a valuable opportunity to reflect on and refine their own practices, opening up new perspectives that can drive meaningful change in their classrooms.
The next step for our participants is arguably the most critical: defining their research questions. These questions will shape the direction and scope of their projects, so it’s essential that they are not only relevant and interesting but also feasible within the constraints of teachers’ busy schedules. The goal is to craft research questions that are both manageable and impactful, capable of delivering real benefits in the classroom.
We are confident that their research will bring valuable, fresh perspectives that will have a lasting impact on the teaching and learning in the participants’ classrooms and across the field as a whole. We look forward to sharing their findings in the coming year.
Interested in getting involved?
Our self-study programme is still open for registration. Once you sign up, you’ll gain access to regular online webinars and drop-in sessions designed to support you as you carry out your own action research projects. We’ve also created a website with a range of supporting materials that you can access anytime, offering flexible guidance to help you along your research journey.