Unplugged Computational Thinking Activities and the Development of Primary Students’ Self‑Concept of Ability and Core Cognitive Skills: A Longitudinal Multi‑Site Study in Austria

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Abstract

This longitudinal study examines the impact of unplugged computational thinking (CT) activities on primary students' academic self-concept and cognitive abilities. Utilizing the Logobox program, consisting of twenty tangible, game-based tasks designed toteach fundamental computer science concepts without digital devices, the research involved 399 third-grade pupils from 19 Austrian primary schools (295 intervention, 104 control). The quasi-experimental clustered design included repeated assessments across one academic year, incorporating periods of COVID-19 induced remote learning. Findings reveal statistically significant and educationally meaningful improvements in both academic self-concept and core cognitive skills within the intervention group. These results underscore the potential of unplugged CT activities as effective, inclusive, and cost-efficient approaches to computational literacy education, particularly valuable under conditions of digital inequity and instructional disruption.

Authors

• Thomas Leitgeb, University of Education Burgenland

• Wolfram Rollett, University of Oldenburg

• Katja Scharenberg, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich