ERIC Number: EJ1486702
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 32
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1648-5831
EISSN: EISSN-2335-8971
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Tables and the Development of Computational Thinking in "Programming with Emil" for Primary School
Mária Cujdíková; Ivan Kalaš
Informatics in Education, v24 n3 p471-502 2025
Tables are fundamental tools for handling data and play a crucial role in developing both computational thinking (CT) and mathematical thinking (MT). Despite this, they receive limited attention in research and design. This study investigates pupils' attitudes toward and approaches to working with tables in informatics education, focusing on the systematic development of CT. Specifically, we examine how primary school pupils (aged 8-10) think and act when engaging with two-dimensional frequency tables integrated into "Programming with Emil." Our objective is to deepen the understanding of pupils' cognitive processes when entering data into tables and interpreting their contents. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative inductive coding. Identified codes were then iteratively consolidated into broader categories and final themes. Key findings include: (a) the opportunity to solve a problem by programming a character is highly motivating for pupils, and (b) the appropriate integration of different contexts and concepts, such as tables, into an engaging programming environment has the potential to foster advanced cognitive skills beyond CT.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Curriculum, Programming, Computation, Tables (Data), Student Attitudes, Elementary School Students, Cognitive Processes, Data Interpretation, Mathematics Education
Vilnius University Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Akademjos str. 4, Vilnius LT 08663 Lithuania. Tel: +37-5-21-09300; Fax: +37-5-27-29209; e-mail: info@mii.vu.lt; Web site: https://infedu.vu.lt/journal/INFEDU
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Slovakia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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