The Effect of Project Based Learning Approach on Computational Thinking Skills and Programming Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of project use on students' self-efficacy beliefs towards programming and their computational thinking skills. A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used in the study. The research was conducted in 2018 with 14 12th-grade students in a Vocational and Technical High School in Izmir. In the research, the application of project use in programming teaching lasted 18 weeks. The research data were collected with the Self-Efficacy Scale for Programming (SESP) developed by Altun and Mazman (2012) and the Computer Thinking Skill Levels Scale (CTSLS) developed by Korkmaz, Çakır, Özden, Oluk, Sarıoğlu (2015). Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, one of the nonparametric tests, was used to analyze the research data. As a result of the study, it was observed that the use of projects in programming instruction had a positive effect on students' self-efficacy in programming, while it did not have a significant effect on their computational thinking skills. Based on the results of the research, it is recommended to teach block-based programming before text-based programming, to include game-themed activities, to ensure active participation of students, and to use multidimensional and alternative measurement tools to measure computational thinking skills to comprehend algorithm stages in programming instruction.

Keywords

• Computational Thinking
• Programming Instruction
• Programming Self-Efficacy Beliefs
• Project-Based Learning
• Purdue Model

Proje Tabanlı Öğrenme Yaklaşımının Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme Becerilerine ve Programlama Öz Yeterlilik İnancına Etkisi

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı proje kullanımının, öğrencilerin programlamaya yönelik öz yeterlilik inançlarına ve bilgi işlemsel düşünme becerilerine etkisini ortaya koymaktır. Araştırmada tek grup ön test- son test deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Araştırma 2018 yılında, İzmir ilinde bir Mesleki ve Teknik Lisesi’nde 12. sınıfta öğrenim gören 14 öğrenci ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada programlama öğretiminde proje kullanımı uygulaması 18 hafta sürmüştür. Araştırma verileri Altun ve Mazman (2012) tarafından geliştirilen Programlamaya İlişkin Öz Yeterlilik Ölçeği ile Korkmaz, Çakır, Özden, Oluk, Sarıoğlu (2015) tarafından geliştirilen Bilgisayarca Düşünme Beceri Düzeyleri Ölçeği ile toplanmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde parametrik olmayan testlerden Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, programlama öğretiminde proje kullanımının öğrencilerin programlamaya ilişkin öz yeterliliklerini olumlu etkilediği görülürken, bilgi işlemsel düşünme becerilerinde anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığı görülmüştür. Araştırma sonuçlarına dayalı olarak programlama öğretiminde algoritma aşamalarının kavranabilmesi için metin tabanlı programlamaya geçmeden önce blok tabanlı programlama öğretimin yapılması, oyun temalı etkinliklere yer verilmesi, öğrencilerin aktif katılımlarının sağlanması ve bilgi işlemsel düşünme becerilerinin ölçülmesinde çok boyutlu ve alternatif ölçme araçlarının kullanılması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Bilgi İşlemsel Düşünme
• Programlama Öğretimi
• Programlama Öz Yeterlilik İnancı
• Proje Tabanlı Öğrenme
• Purdue Modeli

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