The Effect of Algorithm Education on Students’ Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Computational Thinking Skills
Keywords:
Algorithm Education, Computational Thinking, Computer Programming Self-Efficacy, Teacher Candidate, Computer Education and Instructional TechnologyAbstract
In this study, the effect of algorithm education on teacher candidates’ computational thinking skills and computer programming self-efficacy perceptions were examined. In the study, one group pretest posttest experimental design was employed. The participants consisted of 24 (14 males and 10 females) teacher candidates, majoring in Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT). In order to determine the teacher candidates’ computer programming self-efficacy perceptions, the Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale was used, whereas Computational Thinking Skills Scale was used to determine their computational thinking skills. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to analyze the differences between pretest and posttest scores of students' computer programming self-efficacy perceptions and computational thinking skills. Throughout the practices, 10 different algorithmic problems were presented to the students each week, and they were asked to solve these problems using flow chart. For 13 weeks, 130 different algorithmic problems were solved. Algorithm education positively and significantly increased students' simple programming tasks, complex programming tasks and programming self-efficacy perceptions. On the other hand, algorithm education had a positive and significant effect only on students’ algorithmic thinking sub-dimension but did not have any effect on other sub-dimensions and computational thinking skills in general.
Downloads
References
Atmatzidou, S., & Demetriadis, S. N. (2012, July). Evaluating the role of collaboration scripts as group guiding tools in activities of educational robotics: Conclusions from three case studies. Presented at the 2012 IEEE 12th International Conference. Washington, DC, USA. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT.2012.111
Akçay, A. & Çoklar, A. N. (2016). Bili?sel becerilerin geli?imine yönelik bir öneri: Programlama e?itimi(A proposal for the development of cognitive skills: Programming training). A. Isman, H. F. Odabasi ve B. Akkoyunlu (Eds.), Egitim Teknolojieri Okumalar? 2016 (Educational Technology Readings) (s. 121-139). Ankara, Turkey: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology (TOJET).
Altun, A., & Mazman, S. G. (2012). Programlamaya iliskin Öz Yeterlilik Algisi Ölçeginin Türkçe Formunun Güvenirlik ve Geçerlik Çalismasi. (Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Computer Programming Self-Efficacy Scale) E?itimde ve Psikolojide Ölçme ve De?erlendirme Dergisi, 3(2), 297-308.
Arabacioglu, C., Bülbül, H. & Filiz, A. (2007, January). Bilgisayar programlama ögretiminde yeni bir yaklasim (A New Approach to Computer Programming Teaching). Presented at the Akademik Bili?im, Kütahya, Turkey.
Askar, P., & Davenport, D. (2009). An investigation of factors related to self-efficacy for Java Programming among engineering students. Online Submission, 8(1), 26-32.
Blanchard, S., Freiman, V., & Lirrete-Pitre, N. (2010). Strategies used by elementary schoolchildren solving robotics-based complex tasks: Innovative potential of technology. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 2851-2857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.427
Bell, T. (2014). Ubiquity Symposium: The science in computer science: unplugging computer science to find the science. Ubiquity,2014 (March), 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/2590528.2590531
Bell, T., Alexander, J., Freeman, I., & Grimley, M. (2009). Computer science unplugged: School students doing real computing without computers. The New Zealand Journal of Applied Computing and Information Technology, 13(1), 20-29.
Büyüköztürk, ?., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, ?., & Demirel, F. (2011). Bilimsel ara?t?rma yöntemleri (Scientific research methods) Ankara, Turkey: Pegem Academi.
Chambers, J. M., Carbonaro, M., Rex, M., & Grove, S. (2007). Scaffolding knowledge construction through robotic technology: A middle school case study. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, 6, 55-70.
Davidsson, K., Larzon, L. & Ljunggren, K. (2010). Self-Efficacy in Programming among STS Students. Retrieved from http://www.it.uu.se/edu/course/homepage/datadidaktik/ht10/reports.
Fadjo, C. L. (2012). Developing computational thinking through grounded embodied cognition (Unpublished dissertation). Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Esteves, M. & Mendes, A. (2004, October) A Simulation Tool to Help Learning of Object Oriented Programming Basics. Presented at the In Proceedings of the 34th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Savannah, Georgia, USA.
Gomes, A. & Mendes, A. J. (2007, September). Learning to program difficulties and solutions. Presented at the International conference on Engineering Education, Coimbra, Portugal.
Gosling, J. (1995). Introductory statistics. Leichhardt, Australia: Pascal Press.
Grover, S., & Pea, R. (2013). Computational thinking in K–12: A review of the state of the field. Educational Researcher, 42(1), 38-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12463051
Göko?lu, S. (2017). Algorithm Perception in Programming Education: A Metaphor Analysis. Cumhuriyet International Journal of Education, 6(1), 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30703/cije.321430
Hongwarittorrn, N., & Krairit, D. (2010, July). Effects of program visualization (jeliot3) on students' performance and attitudes towards java programming. Presented at the 8th International Conference on Computing, Communication and Control Technologies, Delhi, India.
Howland, K., & Good, J. (2015). Learning to communicate computationally with Flip: A bi-modal programming language for game creation. Computers & Education, 80 (2015), 224-240.
Jegede, P. O. (2009). Predictors of java programming self efficacy among engineering students in a Nigerian University. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security,4(1).
Kalelio?lu, F. (2017). Bilgisayars?z bilgisayar bilimi ö?retimi. Gülbahar, Y. (Ed.) Bilgi i?lemsel dü?ünme ve programlamaya. (I. Bask?) (ss. 183-206) Ankara, Turkey: Pegem Akademi.
Kalelio?lu, F. (2015). A new way of teaching programming skills to K-12 students: Code. org. Computers in Human Behavior, 52, 200-210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.05.047
Kalelioglu, F., & Gülbahar, Y. (2014). The Effects of Teaching Programming via Scratch on Problem Solving Skills: A Discussion from Learners' Perspective. Informatics in Education, 13(1), 33-50.
Khanlari, A. (2013). Effects of robotics on 21st century skills. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 9(27).
Kobsiripat, W., (2015). Effects of the Media to Promote the Scratch Programming Capabilities Creativity of Elementary School Students. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174(2015), 227-232.
Korkmaz, Ö., Çakir, R., & Özden, M. Y. (2017). A validity and reliability study of the Computational Thinking Scales (CTS). Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 558-569. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.005
Kukul, V., & Gökçearslan, ?. (2014 September). Investigat?ng the problem solving skills of students attended scratch programming course. Presented at the 8th International Computer & Instructional Technologies Symposium, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
Lee, I., Martin, F., Denner, J., Coulter, B., Allan, W., Erickson, J., Malyn-Smith, J. & Werner, L. (2011). Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads, 2(1), 32-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/1929887.1929902
Lye, S. Y., & Koh, J. H. L. (2014). Review on teaching and learning of computational thinking through programming: What is next for K-12? Computers in Human Behavior, (41), 51-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.09.012
Mazman, S. G., & Altun, A. (2013). The effect of introductory to programming course on programming self-efficacy of CEIT students. Journal of Instructional Technologies and Teacher Education 2 (3), 24-29.
Mihci Türker, P. & Pala, F. K. (2018). Opinions of Secondary School Students, Teachers and Parents About Coding. Elementary Education Online, 17(4), 2013-2029.
Miller, D. P., Nourbakhsh, I. R., & Siegwart, R. (2008). Robots for education. In Springer handbook of robotics. Heidelberg, Berlin: Springer.
Oluk, A., & Korkmaz, Ö. (2016). Comparing students’ scratch skills with their computational thinking skills in terms of different variables. I. J. Modern Education and Computer Science, (11), 1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2016.11.01
Ozoran, D., Ça??ltay, N. E., & Topalli, D. (2012, November). Using scratch in introduction to programming course for engineering students. Presented at the 2nd International Engineering Education Conference, Antalya, Turkey.
Özmen, B., & Altun, A. (2014). Undergraduate students' experiences in programming: difficulties and obstacles. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 5(3), 1-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17569/tojqi.20328
Pala, F. K., & Mihci Türker, P. (2019). The effects of different programming trainings on the computational thinking skills. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1635495
Ploger, B. J., & Yasukawa, K. (2002). Exploring animal behavior in laboratory and field: an hypothesis-testing approach to the development, causation, function, and evolution of animal behavior. San Diego, CA, USA: Academic Press.
Penmetcha, M. R. (2012). Exploring the effectiveness of robotics as a vehicle for computational thinking (Doctoral dissertation), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Petre, M., & Price, B. (2004). Using robotics to motivate ‘back door’learning. Education and information technologies, 9(2), 147-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EAIT.0000027927.78380.60
Repenning, A., Webb, D., & Ioannidou, A. (2010, March). Scalable game design and the development of a checklist for getting computational thinking into public schools. Presented at the 41st ACM technical symposium on Computer science education, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/1734263.1734357
Robins, A., Rountree, J., & Rountree, N. (2003). Learning and teaching programming: A review and discussion. Computer science education, 13(2), 137-172. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1076/csed.13.2.137.14200
Robinson, M. (2005). Robotics-driven activities: Can they improve middle school science learning? Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 25(1), 73-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467604271244
Rogers, C., & Portsmore, M. (2004). Bringing engineering to elementary school. Journal of STEM Education. Innovations & Research, 5(3), 17-28.
Russell, B., & Purcell, J. (2009). Online research essentials: designing and implementing research studies (Vol. 19). Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
Sayginer, ?. & Tüzün, H. (2017, December). Difficulties in Programming Education and Solutions. International Computer and Instructional Technology Symposium, Malatya, Turkey.
Say?n, Z. (2017). Bilgisayar bilimi egitimi kapsami. Gülbahar, Y. (Ed.) Bilgi islemsel düsünme ve programlamaya. (I. Baski) (ss. 133-154) Pegem Akademi, Ankara, Turkey.
Somyürek, S. (2015). An effective educational tool: construction kits for fun and meaningful learning. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 25(1), 25-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-014-9272-1
Tsai, C. Y. (2019). Improving students' understanding of basic programming concepts through visual programming language: The role of self-efficacy. Computers in Human Behavior, 95, 224-232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.038
Yildiz, M. & Çiftçi, E. (2017). Bili?imsel Düsünme ve Programlama. H. F. Odabasi, B. Akkoyunlu ve A. Isman (Ed). Egitim teknolojileri okumalar? 2017, (5. Bölüm, ss. 75-86). TOJET ve Sakarya Üniversitesi, Adapazari.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
