This research was aimed at summarizing experimental evidence regarding computational thinking and programming conducted in early childhood education in terms of the variables of plugged-in versus unplugged, age, and gender. For this purpose, the WoS, Scopus, and ERIC databases were scanned, and studies determined to be within the scope of the…

The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms of some variables. The research sample comprises 160 children aged five years studying in kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gaziantep city center in the 2021-2022 academic year. As a data collection tool in the research,…

This longitudinal study of robot programming in early childhood (ROPEC) was performed based on summative and formative assessments of the robotics program in kindergarten and year one of elementary school. The study aims to broaden our knowledge about children's understanding of programming, their confidence in ability to read and write programs,…

As technology-enhanced children's learning has gained wide attention, programmable robots have been gradually introduced in early childhood education. Hence, it would be valuable to understand how young children perceive robot programming learning. Draw-a-picture technique is an ideal method to elicit ideas, thoughts, and feelings for children…

Background and context: Despite the growing importance of computer science (CS) education, high-quality CS curricula for students in kindergarten to lower elementary grades are lacking. It is also unclear how students from underrepresented groups such as female students, students from low socioeconomic status, and students with disability respond…

Coding (or computer programming) helps equip children with an intellectual structure that is valuable for their lifelong learning and development. The proliferation of innovative coding platforms, especially screen-free programmable robotics, has made it possible for coding to be integrated into early childhood education (ECE). However, how the…

Background and Context: Historically, women have been underrepresented in computer science. To address this gender gap, researchers advocate for high-quality computer science programs for early childhood. Objectives: This study examines gender differences in coding performance before and after implementing a 24-lesson visual programming curriculum…

Gender balance in computing education is a decades-old issue that has been the focus of much previous research. In K-12, the introduction of mandatory computing education goes some way to giving all learners the opportunity to engage with computing throughout school, but a gender imbalance still persists when computer science becomes an elective…

This study aims to evaluate the trend and frequency of coding/programming activities in Information Technology (IT) courses, according to different parameters. The study was conducted through a survey of a private IT (Information Technology) teachers in different levels (like primary, secondary, and high schools), with questions focusing on the…

The purpose of this systematic review was (1) to synthesize findings from studies that provided programming experiences through robotics for children, between the ages of zero and eight, and for pre- or in-service teachers, of early childhood education and (2) to reveal the possible contributions of robotics programming for the integration of…

Scratch is a tool for initial learning of programming, but also for creating educational and entertainment content, making mathematical and scientific projects, simulating and visualizing experiments. This paper examines the effectiveness of Scratch's application in mathematics, in the study of basic geometric shapes. The analysis has shown that…

Early childhood is a critical period for introducing girls to traditionally masculine fields of science and technology before more extreme gender stereotypes surface in later years. This study looks at the TangibleK Robotics Program in order to determine whether kindergarten boys and girls were equally successful in a series of building and…

Prior work demonstrates the importance of introducing young children to programming and engineering content before gender stereotypes are fully developed and ingrained in later years. However, very little research on gender and early childhood technology interventions exist. This pilot study looks at N = 45 children in kindergarten through second…

Background: Children with autism have difficulties in emotion recognition and a number of interventions have been designed to target these problems. However, few emotion training interventions have been trialled with young children with autism and co-morbid ID. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an emotion training programme for a group…

For the forty-third time, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented online during the annual AECT Convention. Volume 1 contains 37 papers dealing primarily with research and development topics. Papers dealing with the…