Computational Thinking, Programming Self-Efficacy, Problem Solving and Experiences in the Programming Process Conducted with Robotic Activities

Oct 15, 2026

This study investigates secondary school students’ skill levels in computational thinking, programming self-efficacy, and reflective thinking for problem solving, and examines learner experiences during programming training with robotic activities. A 10-week intervention involving 55 students (grades 6–7) used a mixed-method design: quantitative measures with various scales and a semi-structured interview form for qualitative insights. Results show moderate computational thinking, programming self-efficacy, and reflective/problem-solving thinking, differences by grade, and a positive moderate relationship among the measured variables.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

21st-century skills and programming training

Computational thinking and code literacy

Related studies and research gap

Purpose of the Study

Computational Thinking, Programming Self-Efficacy, Problem Solving and Experiences in the Programming Process Conducted with Robotic Activities Hatice Yildiz Durak Bartin University, Turkey ORCID: 0000-0002-5689-1805 Fatma Gizem Karaoglan Yilmaz Bartin University, Turkey ORCID: 0000-0003-4963-8083 Ramazan Yilmaz Bartin University, Turkey ORCID: 0000-0002-2041-1750 Received: 23.10.2018 Accepted: 21.03.2019 Published: 16.04.2019 Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the skill levels of secondary school students regarding computational thinking, programming self-efficacy and reflective thinking aimed at problem solving and examine their experiences in the programming training process on robotic activities. Toward this purpose, a 10-week application was conducted with 55 students from 6th and 7th grades who received education at a secondary school in Western Black Sea region of Turkey during the school year of 2017-2018. The study was conducted using the mixed model and various scales in the quantitative dimension. On the other hand, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was applied in the qualitative dimension. As a result, it was found out that students’ computational thinking skills, programming self-efficacy and reflective thinking aimed at problem solving were moderate. Students’ levels of computational thinking and programming self-efficacy were observed to differ depending on their grade levels. In addition, a positive and moderate relationship was found among the levels of computational thinking, programming selfefficacy and reflective thinking aimed at problem solving. Keywords: Robotics; Computational thinking; Programming self-efficacy; Reflective thinking; Problem solving; Programming Introduction Intended population in programming training generally consists of students receiving higher education. On the other hand, the acquisition of 21st century competences in education and acceptance of today’s learners as digital natives have caused some changes in certain skills which must be acquired by the students. Thus, along with various applications, programming training has started to be considered important especially for K-12 students (Burke, 2012; Fessakis, Gouli,& Mavroudi, 2013; Gulbahar & Kalelioglu, 2014; Kazakoff, 2014) . Programming training is considered functional particularly for earning skills like “creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and cooperation, social and intercultural skills, productivity and responsibility, leadership and responsibility”, which are called 21st century skills (Einhorn, 2011; Grover & Pea, 2013; Lau & Yuen, 2011; Yen, Wu, & Lin, 2012) . As programming processes include different thinking skills and information fields, these processes help children develop crucial skills like “communication skills, creativity, intellectual curiosity, critical and systematic thinking, interpersonal and cooperation skills, problem identification/formulization/solution and self-orientation”(Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007), which exist in the nature of programming processes (Ismail, Ngah, & Umar, 2010; Lau & Yuen, 2011) . In addition, programming skill which is considered among the most important skills of the 21st century is also considered a basic strategy for developing computational thinking (CT) skills (Fields, Searle, Kafai, & Min, 2012; García-Peñalvo, 2016; Grover & Pea, 2013; Lawanto, Close, Ames, & Brasiel, 2017; Lye & Koh, 2014; Meerbaum-Salant, Armoni, & Ben-Ari, 2013; Moreno, 2012; Saritepeci & Durak, 2017; Werner, Denner, Campe, & Kawamoto, 2012; Wing, 2014) . CT includes different top-level thinking skills and information fields which exist in the nature of programming process. The effect of programming processes on developing these skills and information helps students develop skills underlying CT. On the other hand, human interaction with computers is increasing each passing

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the study?

To determine secondary students’ skill levels in computational thinking, programming self-efficacy, and reflective thinking for problem solving, and to examine their experiences during programming training with robotic activities.

How was the research conducted?

A 10-week application with 55 students from grades 6 and 7 was conducted using a mixed model: quantitative scales and a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers.

What were the key findings about students’ skills and relationships?

Students showed moderate levels of computational thinking, programming self-efficacy, and reflective thinking aimed at problem solving. Levels of computational thinking and programming self-efficacy differed by grade, and there was a positive moderate relationship among all three variables.

Oct 15, 2026

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