Recently, creativity has been acknowledged for its importance in improving computer science learning and attitudes. However, very little is known about how to integrate creativity in preservice teacher computing education. Toward this end, we developed a creativity-enhancement intervention in an online Creative Computing instructional module to…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has breached creativity research. The advancements of creative AI systems dispute the common definitions of creativity that have traditionally focused on five elements: actor, process, outcome, domain, and space. Moreover, creative workers, such as scientists and artists, increasingly use AI in their creative…

Background: Conventional reflective learning methodologies in programming education often lack structured guidance and individualised feedback, limiting their pedagogical effectiveness. Whilst computational thinking (CT) offers a systematic problem-solving framework with decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm design, its…

This study examined characteristics of 458 Grade 10 students who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science while completing their secondary school studies. Cluster analysis of SAT-M and Raven Progressive Matrices Test scores identified four distinct groups: G-EM: generally gifted, excelling in mathematics; AG-AEM: averagely gifted,…

Global developments ask for 21st-century skills. Creativity is one of those and can be defined as the production of novel ideas by connecting entities that have not been connected before and whose connection is useful in a certain domain. The growth of rhizomes is an example where unconnected entities become connected in an unpredictable way, and…

We present the results of an ongoing collaboration between computer science and psychology researchers that employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to examine the trajectory of semantic space used during group idea generation sessions. Specifically, we track and estimate the region of semantic space being used and the degree to which new…

This study aims to investigate the role of social support--specifically from family, teachers, and peers--in enhancing computational thinking (CT) abilities among elementary school students. Grounded in social support theory, the scales related to teacher, parental, and peer support were adapted from the PSIA test. After ensuring their reliability…

This study aimed to develop blended learning activities and creativity-based learning in the Mathematics for Computer Course (MCC), compare mathematics achievement in the MCC at a 70% threshold score, compare students' information technology usage performance, and investigate students' learning satisfaction. The participants were freshmen who…

Computer Science (CS), despite being an integral part of STEM education, remains less accessible to school students. This study examines the Challenge program, which enables high-achieving high school students to earn a B.Sc. degree in CS. Over two years, from 458 applicants, 160 passed the admission tests, but only 34 completed their degree. The…

Background: Project-based collaborative learning (PBCL) is a technique that supports knowledge and skill development through complex, real-world projects. Understanding factors that influence group performance in PBCL, such as gender composition, is crucial. Objectives: This study investigates the impact of gender composition on group performance…

There has been a renewed interest in creativity as a twenty-first century skill in K-12 mathematics education. However, previous research has paid less attention to creative actions than to other learning outcomes, which are often product- instead of process-based, especially in a programming context. Thus, situated in the context of mathematical…

Career development is an important aspect of every young person's life as it helps them identify their skills, interests and goals and find the right career path for themselves. Career skills are a broad range of competencies and abilities that are necessary for success in the workplace. Developing them through education, training and experience…

In today's society, creativity plays a key role, emphasizing the importance of its development in K-12 education. Computing education may be an alternative for students to extend their creativity by solving problems and creating computational artifacts. Yet, there is little systematic evidence available to support this claim, also due to the lack…

Computer science (CS) has become a critical part of K-12 education worldwide. Computational thinking (CT) skills are a key set of competencies in CS education that can solve problems and use computational design to create useful solutions. However, preservice and in-service teachers are not fully prepared to integrate CS and CT into their…

Since the last curriculum reform in 2011, all Estonian lower-secondary students have to conduct a year-long creative work. Unfortunately, in many cases, it is implemented as an individual written report that has little to do with improving learners' digital competence or Computational Thinking skills. In the new national curriculum (to be in force…