{"title":"The impact of a block-based visual programming curriculum: Untangling coding skills and computational thinking","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.learninstruc.2024.102041","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>and Context: Computer programming is increasingly being taught to young children worldwide. Quality programming curricula are needed to enable students to explore computer science concepts and develop a positive attitude towards programming. However, few studies have been conducted on the available curricula for young learners.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to provide an evidence-based, public, and free computer science curriculum for early childhood education by investigating the efficacy of the CAL-ScratchJr curriculum, among second graders.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 11 schools and 21 second-grade classrooms was conducted to examine the impact of the 24-lesson curriculum on students’ coding proficiency and computational thinking.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The results indicated that the CAL-ScratchJr curriculum intervention had a medium positive effect on second graders’ coding skills, but no significant impact on computational thinking.</div></div><div><h3>Implications</h3><div>Results caution against incorporating disconnected abstract computational thinking practices in education. The features of the curriculum were discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48357,"journal":{"name":"Learning and Instruction","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Learning and Instruction","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475224001683","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
and Context: Computer programming is increasingly being taught to young children worldwide. Quality programming curricula are needed to enable students to explore computer science concepts and develop a positive attitude towards programming. However, few studies have been conducted on the available curricula for young learners.
Objective
This study aims to provide an evidence-based, public, and free computer science curriculum for early childhood education by investigating the efficacy of the CAL-ScratchJr curriculum, among second graders.
Method
A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 11 schools and 21 second-grade classrooms was conducted to examine the impact of the 24-lesson curriculum on students’ coding proficiency and computational thinking.
Findings
The results indicated that the CAL-ScratchJr curriculum intervention had a medium positive effect on second graders’ coding skills, but no significant impact on computational thinking.
Implications
Results caution against incorporating disconnected abstract computational thinking practices in education. The features of the curriculum were discussed.
期刊介绍:
As an international, multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed journal, Learning and Instruction provides a platform for the publication of the most advanced scientific research in the areas of learning, development, instruction and teaching. The journal welcomes original empirical investigations. The papers may represent a variety of theoretical perspectives and different methodological approaches. They may refer to any age level, from infants to adults and to a diversity of learning and instructional settings, from laboratory experiments to field studies. The major criteria in the review and the selection process concern the significance of the contribution to the area of learning and instruction, and the rigor of the study.