Computational Thinking (CT) has evolved as an essential competency for K-12 students, and programming practices are recognized as the key way to facilitate CT development. However, most studies of CT development in middle graders have focused on visual programming, lacking evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of Python programming. Therefore,…

In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of cooperative learning on the computational thinking skills and academic performances of middle school students in the computational problem-solving approach. We used the pretest-posttest control group design of the quasiexperimental method. In the research, computational problem-solving…

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…

Programming is an interdisciplinary practice with applications in both mathematics and computer science. Mathematics concerns rigor, abstraction, and generalization. Computer science predominantly concerns efficiency, concreteness, and physicality. This makes programming a medium for problem solving that mediates between mathematics and computer…

At an unrivaled and enduring pace, computing has transformed the world, resulting in demand for a universal fourth foundation beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic: computational thinking (CT). Despite increasingly widespread acceptance of CT as a crucial competency for all, transforming education systems accordingly has proven complex. The…

The research aims to explore the acquisition of Computational Thinking (CT) sub-skills among 5th and 6th grade secondary school students in Turkey through a block-based programming application, code.org. It seeks to understand if mastering these skills is essential for students globally. This study involved seven volunteer students selected…

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…

Background and Context: Computational thinking (CT) is a critical part of computing education in middle school. The existing practices of collaboration and collaborative design activities at this education level pairs well with CT practices, but this interaction has previously been under-explored in the existing literature. Objective: In this…

This paper considers how a curricular design that integrated computer programming and creative movement shaped students' engagement with computing. We draw on data from a camp for middle schoolers, focusing on an activity in which students used the programming environment NetLogo to re-represent their physical choreography. We analyze the extent…

Computational thinking (CT) competency is essential for K-12 students in the digital societies. Understanding the relationship between students' CT and relevant factors contributes to implementing and improving CT education. Most previous studies investigated the effect of demographic or attitudinal factors on CT performance; whereas few research…

This study investigated the effects of 3D model building activities with block codes on students' spatial thinking and computational thinking skills. The study group consists of 5th grade students in a secondary school in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. For the study, a pretestposttest control group was utilized within the experimental…

Examining middle school students' computational identity development, personal, situational variables and programming experiences through the lens of identity may offer an opportunity to explore the dynamic relationship between individual, academic and social influences in computer science and CI. The aim of this study is to examine the variables…

Middle school students often enter Computer Science (CS) classes without previous CS or Computational Thinking (CT) instruction. This study evaluated how Code.org's block-based programming curriculum affects middle school students' CT skills and attitudes toward CT and CS. Sixteen students participated in the study. This was a mixed methods action…

This study aims to investigate students' computational thinking (CT) through mathematical tasks integrated with programming in Scratch. Participants completed four tasks that required students to solve coding problems, which were focused on prime numbers and the prime factorization algorithm. The study was designed as a case study and the unit of…

We report on a case study of eight grade 5 to 6 students (ages 12-14) involved in a three-day "digital-making summer camp" focused on mathematical problem-solving through block-based programming combined with programmable electronics. Data analysis focused on the computational thinking (CT), mathematics, and problem-solving challenges…