#657: First Steps Towards a Special Education Computing Curriculum: Identifying Teachers’ Conceptions and Pedagogical Needs

Integrating computing education into special educational needs (SEN) contexts remains vital yet underexplored. Drawing on qualitative interview data from a larger mixed-methods study, this paper examines how special education teachers conceptualize computing education in their pedagogical practice. Based on eight semi-structured interviews with teachers from different SEN school contexts in Hesse, Germany, the study adopts the Dagstuhl Triangle as an analytical lens to identify overarching patterns in teachers’ perspectives. Findings indicate a strong emphasis on use and application-oriented dimensions, while technological and socio-cultural dimensions appear less systematically embedded. While an application-oriented perspective seems appropriate for fast, visible learning outcomes, integrating technological aspects into the classroom could contribute to a long-lasting understanding of underlying concepts, while socio-cultural themes can lead to a self-reflective and critical use of these technologies. By making these dominant patterns visible, the paper contributes to current discussions on inclusive computing education and highlights structural conditions relevant to the development of computing education in SEN contexts.