Computational Thinking for Primary School Children: The Effect of Age and Gender

• In Event: Teaching and Learning: Computational Thinking

Abstract

Computational thinking and programming have gradually become a critical part of K-12 education. The importance of considering children’s cognitive development at different ages when designing a computational thinking curriculum has been emphasized. This study examined the effects of age and gender on 114 10- to 13-year-old children’s computational thinking. The results showed a positive relationship between children’s age and their computational thinking ability before any intervention. When given the same programming intervention, the 10- to 13-year-olds, regardless of gender, improved their computational thinking. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge about age-related differences and gender issues in computational thinking and suggest age-appropriate learning contents for primary school children.

Authors

• Shan Jiang, The University of Hong Kong

• Ka Wai Gary Wong, The University of Hong Kong