The Contributions of Parent-Child Everyday Problem-Solving Activities to Preschoolers’ Computational Thinking: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

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  In Roundtable Session: Informal Learning Environments as Spaces for Building Mathematical and Computational Thinking Skills

Abstract

This study examined the associations between the frequency of parent-child everyday problem-solving (PS) activities and preschoolers’ computational thinking (CT) skills in 212 Chinese families using a three-wave longitudinal design (Time 1: November 2023; Time 2: May 2024; Time 3: November 2024). Results showed that mother-child application activities were positively associated with later pattern recognition and debugging. Mother-child book/media activities were positively associated with later pattern recognition. By contrast, none of father-child PS activities contributed to CT skills. These results highlight mother-child application and book/media activities as effective informal learning pathways for supporting preschoolers’ CT development and suggest that family-based interventions should encourage parents, especially mothers, to incorporate these activities into their children’s everyday routines.

Authors

• Hao Li, University of Hong Kong

• Xiao Zhang, University of Hong Kong