The effects of a progressive scaffolding approach on middle school students'computational thinking skills and self-efficacy
Feifei Xi, Tianyu Xiao, Xiaoman LI, Yafei Hu, Hongliang Ma · 2023
Computational thinking (CT) is considered a necessary skill for the 21st century. Researchers have increasingly focused on how to effectively enhance students’ CT in programming courses. This study proposes a progressive scaffolding approach with flowcharts and visual programming codes applied to a visual programming course based on an open-source hardware platform to improve CT skills and self-efficacy in middle school students. Forty-five middle school students in grades 7 and 8 participated in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by using CT tests, scales, and semi-structured interviews. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined differences in CT skills and self-efficacy on the pre-test, mid-test, and post-test. The results indicated that the progressive scaffolding approach significantly improved middle school students’ CT skills and self-efficacy. These results reveal the effectiveness of the progressive scaffolding approach in improving the computational thinking of middle school students in a visual programming course with an open-source hardware platform, which helps to extend the design of progressive scaffolding.