Learning Block Programming using Scratch among School Children in Malaysia and Australia: An Exploratory Study

Over the past decade, there is a growing interest in block-based programming that aims support early learning and teaching of programming for young children. Block-based programming is suitable for children aged between 8 to 12 years old who are too young to understand and learn the logic and scripting language in view of their low maturity level and lack of exposure to programming. However, the visual Integrated Development Environment (IDE) of block programming allows children aged between 8 to 12 years old to quickly grab the underlying logics, code the program and solve the given problem. This paper explores the learning of block programming using Scratch programming among schoolchildren between the ages of 9 to 11 years old. The school children are characterized into three categories who are (1) Australian kids based in Perth, (2) Malaysian kids based in Perth and (3) Malaysian kids based in Kuala Lumpur. These school children have been selected as they have been exposed to Scratch programming through a week long session of programming camp. The preliminary analysis indicates that the children have enjoyed learning Scratch programing. They feel the language is fun and easy to learn. They are very interested to learn more and would eventually like to master the programming language. They look forward to enrolling to the Scratch programing classes in schools if it is being offered and even as programs conducted in external classes. The findings gathered are still preliminary in nature, therefore, a much-detailed study needs to be carried out before these findings can be generalized and concluded. The learning of programming like Scratch has indirectly promoted the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Malaysia and Australia.