The use of a pedagogical approach mediated transfer with the bridging method has been successful in facilitating the transitions from block-based to text-based programming languages. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research addressing the impact of this transfer on programming misconceptions during the transition. The way programming concepts are…

Background: Teaching programming and computational thinking is becoming a major issue in many education systems. Numerous approaches are possible, but very few studies compare these different ways of implementing programming and computational thinking learning. Objectives: We compared three ways of teaching programming and computational thinking…

Background: The present study analyses the design of programming literacy in the sixth grade of Primary Education, starting from the use of simple activities with visual block-based programming, through "Scratch," and progressively linking difficulty to the use of the "Unity" engine, and the "C#" language, with simple…

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of modality (constructionist mBlock, Scratch, and Python interventions) on six-grade students' computational thinking, programming attitude, and achievement. The pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used to explore the research questions. The study group consisted of 105…

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the integration of goal-based scenario (GBS) approach into a block-based coding instruction. Scratch platform was used to find out the effects of GBSs on programming skills of students, who did not have any programming experience. GBSs were used during practice and the development in students'…

Computational Thinking (CT) has emerged in recent years as a thematic trend in education in many countries and several initiatives have been developed for its inclusion in school curricula. There are many pedagogical strategies to promote the development of elementary school students' CT skills and knowledge. Unplugged learning tasks, block-based…

The assessment of computational thinking (CT) is crucial for improving pedagogical practice, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing efficient educational interventions. Despite growing interest in CT in primary education, existing assessments often focus on specific dimensions, providing a fragmented understanding. In this research, a…

One of the aspects of programming that novices often struggle with is the understanding of abstract concepts, such as variables, loops, expressions, and especially Boolean operations. This paper aims to explore the effects of programming tools with different degrees of embodiment on learning Boolean operations in elementary school. To this end, 67…

In pedagogical language, "scaffolding" is frequently used to replace the expression "support in learning". In didactic terms, the practice in the classroom shows that various types of support, such as the teacher, colleagues, and technologies, contribute to more efficient learning. In terms of technologies, the present study…

Creativity is a vital skill in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related education, fostering innovation and problem-solving. Traditionally, creativity assessments relied on human evaluations, such as the consensual assessment technique (CAT), which are resource-intensive, time-consuming, and often subjective. Recent…

There is a growing body of knowledge on coding and computational thinking for young students in mathematics education, and several attempts to lower the threshold for learning programming and programming languages have been reported. This study focuses on the challenges of teaching programming in a linguistically heterogeneous classroom by…

Background and Context: Most studies about programming misconceptions are conducted at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Since the age level for starting learning programming is getting lower, there is a need for determining programming misconceptions for younger learners. Objective: Our goal is to determine programming misconceptions and…

This study aims to examine the views of fourth-grade primary school students on coding education given through the Scratch program by determining the students' skills in using the program and algorithmic thinking skills. The study was conducted as a one-group study with an embedded mixed design. The study group consisted of 32 students attending…

Background: The world is moving towards digitalization and intelligence. Programming has become an essential development competency. Even though many countries are currently making great efforts to expand programming education, the programming education in these countries shows an imbalance in geographical and gender dimensions. We found that few…

Computational thinking (CT), as a new future-oriented literacy, has gained attention at the basic education level. Graphical programming is the common way to develop CT in primary students, but this drag-and-drop programming may weaken students' understanding of programming's abstract concepts and code logic. Text-based programming approaches can…