How do thinking styles and STEM attitudes have effects on computational thinking? A structural equation modeling analysis

Abstract

Computational thinking (CT) is vital for success in numerous domains. However, the nature, definition, and scope of CT are ill‐defined, and research on how best to develop CT is very limited. This study focused on how thinking styles and STEM attitudes have effects on computational thinking. Using a proportionate stratified random sampling procedure, 1195 students from two universities were surveyed. A structural equation modeling analysis showed that students' thinking styles and STEM attitudes directly predicted their computational thinking skills and that thinking styles mediated the relationship between STEM attitudes and computational thinking skills. Thinking styles and STEM attitudes are strong predictors of CT skills. Based on the results, we recommended that the conceptualization of CT be broadened to reflect its trans‐disciplinary nature within the context of STEM education. This study adds to the limited theoretical understanding of CT and CT‐predictors in higher education, which has been studied much less than in K‐12 education.

Examining the Antecedents of Novice STEM Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: The Roles of Personality Traits, Perceived Social Support, and Work Engagement

“…STEM education has been advocated and intensively implemented all over the world over the past years [ 12 , 57 , 63 , 68 ]. However, it is reported that there is a severe shortage of qualified STEM teachers around the world [ 69 , 70 , 71 ], which has hindered the implementation of STEM education reforms [ 12 , 69 , 70 ].…”

“…At the organizational level, human resources managers could encourage a supportive internal workplace by implementing a suitable code of conduct and arranging meetings to promote and cultivate a civil culture of learning and collaboration. In recent years, many countries have released a lot of policies to support STEM teaching [ 12 , 57 , 63 , 68 , 74 , 75 ]. Schools should help novice STEM teachers realize these policies so that novice STEM teachers can perceive that what they are doing is supported by the governments and societies [ 12 ].…”

“…Hence, it is meaningful for future studies to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and technology-enabled teaching on STEM teachers’ JS. Meanwhile, as aforementioned, many countries have released a lot of policies to support STEM teaching [ 12 , 57 , 63 , 68 , 74 , 75 ], and future studies can also explore the impact of these new policies on teachers’ JS.…”

“…As part of a larger project, which aimed to enhance STEM teachers’ well-being and facilitate their professional development [ 14 ], our research goal was to examine the relationships among novice STEM teachers’ PTs, PSS, WE, and JS. Thus, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was the most efficient and appropriate method [ 55 ], as it can help collect data regarding these variables in a relatively short period of time [ 56 , 57 ].…”

Exploring the effects of AI literacy in teacher learning: an empirical study

“…Therefore, a certain amount of caution is still needed when generalizing our findings. Meanwhile, considering the huge development gap between coastal and inland provinces in China (Jiang et al 2021;Jiang et al 2024), it should be acknowledged that teachers in different regions may have different AI resources, knowledge and learning opportunities. In the future, regional comparisons are needed to understand the differences of behavioral intentions to learn AI among teachers in different regions.…”