This study delved into the impact of educational robotics, virtual coding, and unplugged coding on the problem-solving, computational thinking (CT), and coding skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Employing a pretest-posttest experimental design, the study encompassed 351 EFL students distributed across four groups to compare…

Policy emphases on early childhood and elementary computer science education have led to the development of many developmentally appropriate computer science and robotics tools, pedagogies, and high-quality curricula. One example is the integrated Coding as Another Language pedagogy for coding, literacy, and social and emotional learning. The…

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…

This study aims to develop and validate an age-appropriate, easily manipulated, and robot-based assessment named Computational Thinking Observational Scale (CTOS) for 3- to 5-year-olds. The study sample included 46 preschoolers (M[subscript age] = 3.57 years, SD = 0.36). Expert judgment confirmed excellent content validity, yielding a Scale-level…

With the growing popularity of computational thinking (CT) classes in K-12 schools, it is important to investigate public perceptions of these initiatives. Analyzing public discussions and opinions provides valuable insights that can inform future educational policies and reforms. In this paper, we collected questions and answers related to CT…

Background/purpose: This research explores the use of robotics to facilitate the learning of computer programming among non-specialist pre-service teachers with no prior programming experience. With the increasing demand for 21st-century teaching competencies, it is essential to equip future educators with computational thinking (CT) skills, even…

Programming has been considered a crucial "object to think with", which can integrate with various disciplines and facilitate learning in other areas. However, existing research primarily focuses on how children learn to code rather than how coding helps them to learn. To address this gap, a quasi-experimental case study was conducted…

Computational thinking (CT) has emerged as a foundational skill for young learners, preparing them to navigate and contribute to an increasingly digital world. This bibliometric analysis utilizes 374 articles from the Web of Science database to explore the research landscape surrounding CT in children's learning, focusing on its applications in…

Coding learning can promote the development of computational thinking (CT) in young children. The effect of coding learning on CT may vary between different cultures. However, it lacks studies to evaluate the effect of coding learning on the various dimensions of CT in young Chinese children. To provide insight into this question, we recruited…

Engineering and technology teachers have advocated using robotics and coding to cultivate students' computational thinking and problem-solving skills at PreK-12 levels. Understanding teachers' perceptions of how preschool children develop strategies and skills for engaging in robotics and coding activities is crucial for promoting the early use of…

Computational thinking (CT) has started to attract attention as an important research topic in recent years. It is important to describe the CT field in detail and to determine the research interests and trends of studies in this field. In this most comprehensive and first topic modeling based study in the field of CT, it was aimed to determine…

In recent years, computational thinking has garnered increased attention as an essential problem-solving skill. One of the methods to develop students' computational thinking skills is robotic coding activities. This study sought to investigate the impact of robotic coding activities on the self-efficacy perceptions of secondary school students'…

Coding is increasingly recognized as a new literacy that should be encouraged at a young age. This understanding has recontextualized computer science as a compulsory school subject and has informed several developmentally appropriate approaches to computation, including for preschool children. This study focuses on the introduction of three…

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…

The purpose of this study is to introduce a developed activity which is named "CityMap" and to present an example of the implementation and evaluation process of a computer science unplugged activity through this activity. The aim of this activity is to write algorithms of going from one place to another using step by step instructions.…