Norwegian mathematics teachers’ conceptions of programming in mathematics education

As programming is being integrated into mathematics education in Norway, it is increasingly important to understand how teachers perceive and implement programming. This study investigates Norwegian mathematics teachers’ conceptions, that is their situated understandings and rationales, regarding programming in mathematics education at the primary and lower secondary school levels. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with four teachers and a nationwide questionnaire answered by 215 teachers, providing both qualitative and quantitative insights. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, while the questionnaire provided contextual quantitative insights.  The results show that (1) the majority of Norwegian mathematics teachers have no formal education in programming, and many have not received training in programming, yet they are largely positive about introducing programming to their pupils, (2) teachers align their teaching of programming with and are guided by the mathematics curriculum and the exam, (3) teachers view programming as a tool in the subject, however, they are often hindered from realizing programming’s potential by its challenges and limitations, (4) teachers feel unprepared and sometimes uncomfortable teaching programming in mathematics, and (5) there appears to be a lack of appropriate collaborative discourse with consistent terminology on programming in mathematics education among primary and lower secondary school teachers in Norway, which may be contributing to the fragmentation of practice. By shedding light on how teachers conceptualize programming, this study contributes to understanding the pedagogical and structural challenges and opportunities of integrating programming into mathematics education, and highlights areas for future support.