Developing Computational Thinking Skills of High School Students: Design-Based Learning Activities and Programming Tasks

Abstract

This paper is to investigate into the effect of design-based learning (DBL) activities and programing training on computational thinking (CT) skills. In total, 119 from the ninth grade students were recruited for this study conducted within the scope of Computer Science course. A semi-experimental research design was adopted, and DBL activities were included in one group, while the other group attended in the programming training took place. The duration of the study was planned as fourteen weeks and the data were obtained in the 1st and 14th weeks of the experimentation. During the analysis phase, the paired sample t test was employed for in-group comparisons, whereas the independent samples t test analysis was utilized to make comparisons between groups. This study finds evidence to suggest that there was a significant positive development at CT levels after the experimentation in both groups. The most remarkable result to emerge from the data is that DBL activities had also a similar effect on CT skills compared to programming training considered as important in teaching CT and developing it. Further inquiries should be undertaken in the relationship between DBL and programming training with CT skill through qualitative or mixed research designs in depth.