Abstract The study explores the integration of programming into the professional development of prospective physics educators. The study emphasizes the development of practical skills in computational methods and data visualization. The course is structured into 13 lectures and 12 practical sessions. The lectures cover foundational Python programming, visualization of physical phenomena, and modeling of school physics topics. The practical sessions focus on the application of these skills. The study underscores the contemporary relevance of integrating Python, a widely adopted programming language in science and education, into the pedagogical training of physics teachers. The course aligns with STEM education principles, enabling participants to model, analyze, and visualize physical phenomena, thus bridging theoretical physics concepts and real-world applications. This integration equips future educators with critical digital competencies to meet the demands of modern educational practices. The study uses an adapted Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) to assess student satisfaction and the effectiveness of the course. The findings indicate a high level of satisfaction in various domains, including teaching quality, clarity of objectives, and practical relevance. However, the study also identified challenges, such as the need for additional support for students without previous programming experience. This research contributes to the broader discourse on educational innovation by demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of incorporating computational tools like Python into physics education. The study offers actionable information for curriculum development and underscores the potential to cultivate computational literacy among prospective educators.
Pavlenko et al. (Mon,) studied this question.