Computer Science Education in Malaysia Schools: The Challenges of Enhancing Computational Thinking Skills

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the challenges of computational thinking in computer science subject at school in Ministry of Education Malaysia. The study focuses on teaching and learning of computational thinking skills and computer science at secondary school to cope with the expected situation towards Education 4.0. The contribution study addresses the problem of improving computational skills among students through computer science education. The survey was conducted using the interview method and involved 3 experienced teacher in computer science. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analyzed using thematic analysis to extract meaning to understand and explain the subject matter of the study. The findings show that there is a gap based on technology exposure between the generation of teachers and students, therefore computer science requires a module and teaching materials that feature the latest technology. The study also found that the existing curriculum was in line with the efforts of improving the student's computational thinking skills. Therefore, teacher training, modular facilities, and technological materials still need to be improved in parallel with the development of technological knowledge for the generation of students and towards education 4.0.