<![CDATA[Coding and computational thinking are increasingly important in contemporary teacher education, yet their integration into science learning remains insufficiently understood as an adaptive pedagogical process. This study examined how preservice elementary school teachers experienced coding-based science learning, the challenges they encountered, and the strategies they developed in response. A qualitative descriptive design was used with 22 students enrolled in an Elementary School Teacher Education program. Data were generated from classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, documentation, and supplementary pretest-posttest records. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically, while the pretest-posttest records were used descriptively to contextualize patterns in participants’ learning. The findings were organized around three connected themes: evolving learning experiences, implementation challenges, and adaptive strategies. Posttest records showed higher positive-response counts for conceptual understanding, the science-coding relationship, algorithmic thinking, instructional integration, and motivation. Participants also described technical, cognitive, and pedagogical difficulties, particularly when constructing programming logic, using Scratch, and selecting science content for coding integration. In response, they adopted gradual learning, debugging, reflection, and instructional adjustment. These findings position coding-based science learning as a process of pedagogical adaptation that can support computational thinking, digital scientific literacy, and technology-integrated teaching competence among preservice elementary teachers.]]>
