Identification of Performance, Motivation, and Support Needs in Coding Education Provided for the Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

Year 2024, Issue: 55, 82 - 92, 09.12.2024

Güler Karaman , Süleyman Sadi Seferoğlu

https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1487199

Abstract

Coding education, which enhances the computational thinking skills of K-12 students, is increasingly integrated into the curricula of various countries. However, such education is often excluded from the curricula designed for students with special needs. A review of the literature indicates a significant scarcity of studies dedicated to the coding instruction process for this population. To effectively integrate coding and computational thinking into the curricula for students with special needs, it is essential for educators to understand the appropriate materials and instructional supports that can enhance student motivation and participation during coding lessons. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a secondary school student with mild intellectual disabilities in coding education, with a focus on the materials used, student motivation, challenges encountered during the instruction, and the specific support needs of the student. Employing a holistic single case design, the research incorporates the perspectives of a secondary school special education student regarding their coding education, alongside observations made by the researcher. The findings indicate that the participant actively engaged in the coding education, with block-based coding activities being the most motivating among the various coding activities offered. Furthermore, the study identifies the essential individual supports required by the participant, which include concretization, verbal clarification of the tasks to be performed during each session, and access to the block-based coding platform.

Keywords

Special education, mild intellectual disability, coding, motivation, computational thinking.

Hafif Düzey Zihinsel Yetersizliği Olan Öğrencilere Verilen Kodlama Eğitiminde Performans, Motivasyon ve Destek İhtiyaçlarının Belirlenmesi

Abstract

Günümüzde K-12 düzeyindeki öğrencilerin bilgi işlemsel düşünme becerisi edinimi için kodlama eğitimi tüm dünyada öğretim programlarında yerini almıştır (Lamprou & Repennig, 2018). Ancak özel eğitim sınıflarında eğitim gören özel gereksinimli öğrenciler normal sınıflarda eğitim gören öğrenciler gibi kodlama öğretimi almamaktadırlar. Kodlama öğretimine ait alanyazın incelendiğinde özel gereksinimli öğrencilere yönelik verilen kodlama öğretim sürecine yönelik az sayıda çalışma olduğu görülmüştür (Alkan, 2019; Sola-Özgüç & Altın, 2020; Taylor vd., 2017).
Özel gereksinimli öğrencilerin öğretim müfredatına kodlama ve bilgi işlemsel düşünmenin entegre edilmesi sürecinde, eğitimi uygulayacak öğretmenlerin, özel gereksinimli öğrencilere kodlama eğitimi sırasında öğrencilerin motivasyonunu artırma ve katılımını sağlamada hangi materyallerin kullanılacağını ve öğretimsel desteklerin nasıl sağlanacağını bilmeleri sürecin daha etkili olabilmesi için gerekli görülmektedir. Çalışmada hafif düzey zihinsel yetersizliği olan bir ortaokul öğrencisine verilen kodlama eğitiminde öğrencinin performansı kullanılan materyaller, öğrenci motivasyonu, öğrencinin süreçte yaşadığı zorluklar ve destek gereksinimi açısından incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Okullarda uygulanan kodlama öğretiminin etkililiğini ve başarısını saptamada öğretim sürecine katılan paydaşların değerlendirmelerinin önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir. Uygulamanın etkililiğini görmek ve gerekli düzeltmelerde bulunmak hem süreçteki paydaşlara hem de özel gereksinimli öğrencilere yapılacak kodlama öğretimi çalışmalarına fayda sağlayacaktır. Bu nedenle; yapılan çalışmada özel gereksinimli öğrencilere verilen kodlama eğitimine yönelik öğrenci görüşleri ile birlikte araştırmacının gözlemlerine yer verilmiştir.
Katılımcının kodlama eğitimine aktif katılım sağladığı, kodlama etkinliklerinden en çok blok tabanlı kodlama etkinliklerinin katılımcıda motivasyon sağladığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada bireysel desteklerin; somutlaştırma, o oturumda yapacağı etkinliğin öncesinde sözlü olarak ifade edilmesi ve blok tabanlı kodlama platformuna erişim olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Keywords

Özel eğitim, Hafif düzey zihinsel yetersizlik, Kodlama, Motivasyon, Bilgi işlemsel düşünme.

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