School of Computing Science

The Centre for Computing Science Education at the University of Glasgow conducts internationally recognised research into how computing is taught and learned, as computing science education expands across primary, secondary and higher education and into new communities and application contexts.

Our research examines Cognition and Reasoning in computing, including mental models of computation, the spatial reasoning needed to develop and manipulate these models, and argumentation about problems and their computational representations.

In Early Developmental Activities, we investigate how primary school computing activities contribute to coherent learning progression. This includes grounded cognition, physical computing and supporting teachers in developing effective classroom activities. Research on Participation and Affect explores factors influencing engagement in computing education, drawing on educational theory and collaborative research to understand participation across different learners and contexts. Learning to Program remains a longstanding focus, recognising programming as central to developing computational understanding. Our work also investigates the challenges of teaching computing in emerging application domains and how formal educational structures can constrain the development of effective problem-solving practices.

Together, these research themes inform approaches to computing education that support learners and educators across educational stages and evolving contexts.