Innovating Education with computational thinking: A didactic experience in the 4th grade

Abstract

Teaching to think critically and creatively is currently a fundamental pillar of education and civic participation. The research started from the question "How to teach thinking using computational thinking fundamentals? Based on an interdisciplinary design, the study was based on a methodology with characteristics of action research since the researcher was closely linked to the action and the will to be involved in the transformation of practices in the educational context of the Supervised Teaching Practice of the Master's Degree in Primary School Teaching and Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education. The study involved 22 children from the 4th grade of a school in Porto Metropolitan Area. A mixed methodology with Action Research characteristics was used for data collection. In this sense, besides other instruments, an evaluation scale adapted from Özgen Korkmaz was used. The results show that computational thinking, combined with a collaborative and interdisciplinary process, promotes abstract thinking and fosters students' interest and involvement in the problem-solving process by stimulating various personal and social skills.