Leaving the Field: Working with Teachers to Integrate Computational Thinking in Mixed-Visual Ability Classrooms’ Activities

Abstract

Following a long-term design research engagement to develop an accessible programming toolkit with teachers and children for mixed-visual ability collaboration in classrooms, we reached a pivotal moment: leaving the field. Although the toolkit proved effective during researcher-supported use, this transition raised a key question: how can researchers responsibly step back while enabling sustainable adoption? To examine this, we moved beyond the design of the tool itself, returning to a partner school to explore a handover strategy through interviews, co-design sessions, and classroom enactments with teachers. This allowed us to investigate the pedagogical needs, organizational constraints, and operational dependencies that shaped teachers’ ability to appropriate the toolkit. Our findings show that sustainable integration requires more than accessible technology; it depends on alignment with school practices, curricular demands, and the complexities of mixed-ability classrooms. We contribute empirical and conceptual insights into the challenges of transitioning from researcher-supported to teacher-led use and offer design implications to support teachers’ appropriation of inclusive programming toolkits.