Lors des premières années d’exercice du métier, les enseignant-e-s récemment diplômé-e-s traversent une phase de carrière délicate (Girinshuti 2020). Le changement de statut et le passage de l’identité d’étudiant-e à celle de ‘professionnel-le de l’enseignement’ ne se font pas toujours sans difficultés ni questionnements. L’une des stratégies visant à soutenir une insertion plus sereine dans la profession consiste à proposer une offre spécifique de formation continue réellement adaptée aux besoin des enseignant-e-s en début de carrière (Guidon et al. 2025).

Trois enquêtes récentes (2025-2026) menées dans le canton de Vaud (Suisse) permettent de mieux cerner ces besoins et d’interroger les écarts éventuels entre, d’une part les besoins et difficultés évoquées par les enseignant-e-s en début de carrière eux/elles-mêmes et, d’autre part, ceux perçu par les directions d’établissements par rapport à ce public précis.

La première enquête (plus de 3000 répondants) portait sur les pratiques et besoins de formation continue de tous le personnel enseignant du canton de Vaud. Une analyse des réponses des personnes en début de carrière (1 à 3 ans d’exercice) montre des variations spécifiques entre les besoins et pratiques de cette population et les professionnel-les de l’enseignement plus expérimenté-e-s (aussi bien concernant les aspects logistiques des formations continues que les priorités en termes de contenus thématiques).

Deux autres enquêtes ont été menées spécifiquement auprès des enseignant-e-s débutant-e-s (degrés primaires) ainsi que des directions d’établissement (une centaine de répondant-e-s pour chaque population). Dans les deux cas, les questions portaient sur des thématiques précises susceptibles d’être reconnues comme des besoins important par les enseignant-e-s en début de carrière (par exemple : relations école-famille, tâches administratives et rédactionnelles, gestion de classe et différentiation, planification du travail de l’enseignant-e) (Hétu et al. 1999 ; Mukamurera&Balleux 2013 ; Lanéelle&Perez-Roux 2014).

Les résultats de ces trois enquêtes quantitatives sont complétés par des données qualitatives issues d’entretiens dirigés avec des responsables formation continue en établissements.

Les analyses croisées de toutes ces données permettent de montrer que la population des enseignant-e-s débutant-e-s est non seulement spécifique en termes de besoins en formation continue, mais que ces besoins ne sont pas toujours conscientisés par les individus eux-mêmes, qui cherchent encore leur place à l’intérieur d’un nouveau système professionnel. L’ingénierie de formation nécessaire pour concevoir des formations continues et des accompagnements qui soient réellement adaptés aux enseignant-e-s en début de carrière doit intégrer l’ensemble de ces dimensions, y compris la manière dont l’offre de formation continue leur est présentée et communiquée.

Bibliographie :

Girinshuti, C. (2020). Devenir enseignant. « Carrière de vie » et insertion professionnelle des enseignants diplômés en Suisse romande. Alphil.

Guidon, I., Hostettler Schärer, J., Baumgartner, A., Bernhard, D., Christe de Mello, A., Calastri, S., Roth, K. & Vogel, Y. (2025). Strukturierte Berufseinführung als Scharnier zwischen Aus- und Weiterbildung. Beiträge zur Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung, 43 (2), 172–187. https://doi.org/10.36950/bzl.43.2.2025.10394

Hétu, J.-C., Lavoie, M. & Baillauquès S. (1999). Jeunes enseignants et insertion professionnelle. Bruxelles : De Boeck.

Lanéelle, X. & Perez-Roux, T. (2014). Entrée dans le métier des enseignants et transition professionnelle : impact des contextes de professionnalisation et dynamiques d’acteurs. L’Orientation scolaire et professionnelle, 4 (43), 469-494. https://doi.org/10.4000/osp.4488

Mukamurera, J. & Balleux, A. (2013). The Malaise of Education Workers and Changing Professional Identity in Quebec. Recherche & formation, No 74(3), 57-70. https://doi.org/10.4000/rechercheformation.2129

The present study highlights the potential of cross-disciplinary teacher preparation models and highlights the importance of equipping future scientists with the tools to inspire the next generation of learners. Implications for teacher educators include designing scaffolded field experiences and integrating STEM-specific pedagogical training into summer teaching internship program programs. As the demand for high-quality STEM education continues to rise, innovative approaches to teacher preparation have become imperative. This study explores the experiences of undergraduate STEM majors as they teach fifth-grade science, examining how their disciplinary expertise informs pedagogical practice. Using a qualitative case study design, the study captures the challenges, growth, and instructional strategies of STEM majors placed in elementary classrooms. Findings suggest that while participants possess strong content knowledge, they often struggle to simplify complex concepts for young learners and manage classroom dynamics effectively. However, with targeted mentorship and reflective practice, these STEM majors demonstrate notable gains in confidence, creativity, and pedagogical skill.

Abstract

Theoretical background and research aim

Recently, STEM enrichment programs have gained significant importance by offering opportunities for students to engage with scientific and technological concepts beyond the boundaries of the regular classroom. Such programs aim to foster motivation, creativity, and problem-solving skills, providing students with hands-on experiences that connect theory to practice. Research has increasingly examined their effects on cognitive and psychological factors (e.g., Chiang et al., 2022). Consistent with established literature (e.g., Zindel, 2022), we consider computational thinking different from programming. It includes processes such as problem-solving in both mathematics and computer science education. The main objective of this project is to empirically investigate the impact the enrichment program i-Camps at the University of Teacher Education of the Grisons (PHGR) in Switzerland. The study investigates how participation in this program influences students’ cognitive and psychological outcomes.

The project aims to address two main research questions:

(1) How does the i-Camps enrichment program influence students' attribution patterns, interests, self-efficacy, and self-concept in mathematics and computer science?

(2) How does the i-Camps enrichment program influence students’ performance, particularly in computational thinking?

Methodology

The sample includes N=X students (grades 3-9) who participated in the four-day i-Camps program (August 4-7, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Students were assigned to three levels based on their prior experience with computational thinking. Level 1 (N=x) included students with no previous experience, while Levels 2 and 3 (N=x) comprised students with prior exposure—through earlier i-Camps programs, school activities, or independent.

During the i-Camps, participants engaged in robotics and programming activities, including LEGO Education SPIKE®, designed to foster computational thinking through interactive, hands-on learning experiences. Activities were organized according to difficulty level and participants’ prior knowledge and experience. Levels 1 and 2 were led by two lecturers from PHGR, while Level 3 was supervised by a master’s student from ETH Zürich (Master of Informatics and Didactics for High School Computer Science). All instructors were supported by 2–3 preservice teachers from PHGR.

All participants completed a pretest at the start of the week, and a posttest at the end. Level 1 participants completed 10 multiple-choice tasks assessing their computational thinking competencies, adapted from Biber Spielkarten (Informatik-Biber, link). Because reading comprehension can be challenging at this level, psychological factors were not assessed at Level 1. Levels 2 & 3 participants completed validated scales measuring key psychological constructs (e.g., Benölken, 2013; Geitel, 2020), addressing interest (2 items), self-efficacy (1 item), self-concept (2 items), and attribution patterns (2 items), along with 10 multiple-choice tasks measuring computational thinking skills, taken from Serafini (2025).

Results

One-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to compare participants’ performance on the computational thinking tasks between the pretest and posttest. The analysis for Level 1 revealed no significant difference from pretest to posttest. For Levels 2 & 3 a small but non-significant improvement from pretest to posttest was observed. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance, the effect size suggests a small practical effect, indicating a slight increase in students’ computational thinking performance following participation in the i-Camps program.

A series of one-way repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that only self-efficacy demonstrated a significant effect of test, while all other constructs were non-significant.

Discussion

Enrichment programs such are particularly valuable in providing insights into how these activities influence children's psychological constructs and Computational thinking skills over time. Although no significant improvements were observed, small effect sizes suggest a positive trend in computational thinking and self-efficacy. More observations over a longer period and additional data are needed to determine whether these gains become statistically and practically meaningful.