IMPLEMENTING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ICT EDUCATION AND EVALUATION USING THE KIRKPATRICK METHOD

Abstract

The lack of understanding of computational concepts and problem-solving among students who still consider computers merely as tools for gaming and entertainment, along with their limited exposure to computational Thinking, constrains their ability to address problems systematically. Although the 2013 Curriculum emphasizes critical Thinking, basic data analysis, problem-solving, creativity, and innovation, aligned with the computational thinking method, it remains a distinct challenge for students and teachers to integrate it into their teaching. The objective of computational thinking education is to shift the paradigm and introduce students to computational thinking skills, particularly in ICT Education. Testing this method employs the Kirkpatrick method, which demonstrates a significant improvement in students' ability to solve problems with a more systematic and computational approach. Students can comprehend the concepts of decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm development. This improvement is reflected in their performance on various computer-based problem-solving tasks. The benefits of implementing computational Thinking include students applying computational thinking principles not only in computer-based learning but also in their daily lives, gaining more confidence in facing technology-based challenges.