A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating Primary School Children’s Coding Practices and Computational Thinking Using ScratchJr

Abstract

There are increasing calls to introduce computational thinking in schools; the arguments in favor call upon research suggesting that even kindergarten children can successfully engage in coding. This contribution presents a cross-sectional study examining the coding practices and computational thinking of fifty-one primary school children using the ScratchJr software; children were organized in two cohorts (Cohort 1: 6–9 years old; Cohort 2: 10–12 years old). Each cohort participated in a six-hour intervention, as part of a four-day summer club. During the intervention children were introduced to ScratchJr and were asked to collaboratively design a digital story about environmental waste management actions, thus adopting a disciplinary perspective to computational thinking. Data analyses examined children’s final artifacts, in terms of coding practices and the level of computational thinking demonstrated by each cohort. Furthermore, analysis of selected groups’ storyboard interviews was used to shed light on differences between the two cohorts. Results are presented and contrasted across the two age cohorts via a developmental perspective. The findings of this study can be useful in considering the instructional support that is necessary to scaffold the development of primary school children’s coding practices and computational thinking.

Abstractive-Based Programming Approach to Computational Thinking: Discover, Extract, Create, and Assemble

“…Out of the three students in the experimental group with ages greater than 16 years, compared with five in the control group, further analysis of time spent on the posttest showed that one of the students in the experimental group completed less than 38% of the test. The finding of no main effect by age contrast with the cross-sectional study that examined the difference in CT between lower and upper elementary school students (Kyza et al, 2022). Nonetheless, the findings in Kyza et al (2022) that upper elementary students outperformed their peers in lower classes with significant differences in abstraction and decomposition may not be comparable as the assessment was based on Dr Scratch's analysis of programming artefacts.…”

“…Nonetheless, the findings in Kyza et al (2022) that upper elementary students outperformed their peers in lower classes with significant differences in abstraction and decomposition may not be comparable as the assessment was based on Dr Scratch’s analysis of programming artefacts. Also, another plausible explanation is the wide developmental difference between the participants in Kyza et al (2022) and the near uniformity in the age of participants in this study.…”

Can Preschoolers Learn Computational Thinking and Coding Skills with ScratchJr? A Systematic Literature Review

“…It is widely accepted that children require access to developmentally appropriate technologies to develop critical skills and capabilities (Murcia, 2021). Educators face challenges effectively integrating digital technologies into early learning environments (Kyza et al, 2021;Murcia, 2021) to mitigate the difficulties young age face while trying to learn CT and coding (Papadakis, 2021a). Thus, using developmentally appropriate environments to reduce code learning challenges is vital for young students (Fessakis et al, 2019;Resnick et al, 2009).…”

“…Estonia, Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States have already incorporated computing into almost every curriculum subject (Dufva & Dufva, 2016). Furthermore, many organizations such as Code.org and the EU Code Week, Black Girls Code, STEM Center USA, Girls Who Code work to bring young children, girls, and minorities into programming (Kyza et al, 2021).…”

“…Despite the multifaceted nature of CT, the introduction of CT and associate concepts such as coding is regarded as developmental acceptable for preschool and kindergarten children (Kyza et al, 2021). Three main motives primarily drive interest in these approaches: to teach children CT, to build a foundation for later learning skills.…”