Improving the Computational Thinking Abilities of Junior High School Students Through Problem-Based Learning

  • Moh. Nafis Husen Romadani Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Indonesia
  • Gregoria Ariyanti Universitas Katolik Widya Mandala Surabaya Kampus Kota Madiun
  • Winarsih 3 SMPN 37 Surabaya, Indonesia
Keywords: Computational Thinking (CT), Classroom Action Research (CAR), Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Abstract

This study aims to improve the Computational Thinking (CT) abilities of seventh-grade students at SMPN 37 Surabaya, based on initial findings indicating that most students in this class exhibit low CT abilities. Efforts to improve CT abilities were made through implementing the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model, which is effective in facilitating problem-solving skills. The research method used was Classroom Action Research (CAR) with a spiral approach by Stephen Kemmis and Robin McTaggart, conducted over multiple cycles to monitor the gradual development of students' CT abilities. Data were collected through post-tests at the end of each cycle to evaluate improvements in students' CT abilities. Data analysis was conducted using a CT assessment rubric, categorizing students based on CT skills and foundations. The data analysis results indicated an increase in CT scores across each research cycle. In Cycle I, there was an increase of 0.2 in CT scores, with a completion rate of  and an average CT score of . In Cycle II, the CT score improvement reached , with a completion rate of  and an average CT score of . These findings demonstrate that the implementation of the PBL model significantly improves students' CT abilities. The progression from low to medium and high skill categories by the end of Cycle II highlights the effectiveness of PBL in developing students' CT abilities, making this model relevant for improving critical and systematic thinking skills among students.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Atmatzidou, Soumela, and Stavros Demetriadis. “Advancing Students’ Computational Thinking Skills through Educational Robotics: A Study on Age and Gender Relevant Differences.” Robotics and Autonomous Systems 75 (January 2016): 661–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.10.008.
Azwar, Saifuddin. Metode Penelitian Psikologi. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2017.
Barcelos, Thiago S., Roberto Munoz, Rodolfo Villarroel, Erick Merino, and Ismar F. Silveira. “Mathematics Learning through Computational Thinking Activities: A Systematic Literature Review.” Journal of Universal Computer Science 24, no. 7 (2018): 815–45. https://lib.jucs.org/article/23376.
Chen, Peng, Dong Yang, Ahmed Hosny Saleh Metwally, Jari Lavonen, and Xiao Wang. “Fostering Computational Thinking through Unplugged Activities: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of STEM Education 10, no. 1 (July 4, 2023): 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00434-7.
Fadilla, N, L Nurlaela, T Rijanto, S R Ariyanto, L Rahmah, and S Huda. “Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Skills.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1810, no. 1 (March 1, 2021): 012060. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1810/1/012060.
Gallagher, Shelagh A. “The Role of Problem-Based Learning in Developing Creative Expertise.” Asia Pacific Education Review 16, no. 2 (June 28, 2015): 225–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-015-9367-8.
Giannakoulas, Andreas, and Stelios Xinogalos. “Studying the Effects of Educational Games on Cultivating Computational Thinking Skills to Primary School Students: A Systematic Literature Review.” Journal of Computers in Education, November 21, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-023-00300-z.
Grover, Shuchi, and Roy Pea. “Computational Thinking: A Competency Whose Time Has Come.” In Computer Science Education. Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350057142.ch-003.
———. “Computational Thinking in K–12.” Educational Researcher 42, no. 1 (January 1, 2013): 38–43. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12463051.
Hooshyar, Danial, Margus Pedaste, Yeongwook Yang, Liina Malva, Gwo-Jen Hwang, Minhong Wang, Heuiseok Lim, and Dejan Delev. “From Gaming to Computational Thinking: An Adaptive Educational Computer Game-Based Learning Approach.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 59, no. 3 (June 23, 2021): 383–409. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633120965919.
Hopfenbeck, Therese N., Jenny Lenkeit, Yasmine El Masri, Kate Cantrell, Jeanne Ryan, and Jo-Anne Baird. “Lessons Learned from PISA: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles on the Programme for International Student Assessment.” Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 62, no. 3 (May 4, 2018): 333–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2016.1258726.
Hsu, Ting Chia, Shao Chen Chang, and Yu Ting Hung. “How to Learn and How to Teach Computational Thinking: Suggestions Based on a Review of the Literature.” Computers & Education 126 (November 2018): 296–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.07.004.
Kardoyo, Ahmad Nurkhin, Muhsin Muhsin, and Hengky Pramusinto. “Problem-Based Learning Strategy: Its Impact on Students’ Critical and Creative Thinking Skills.” European Journal of Educational Research 9, no. 3 (July 15, 2020): 1141–50. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.3.1141.
Karsenty, Ronnie. “Mathematical Ability.” In Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education, 372–75. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4978-8_94.
Kite, Vance, and Soonhye Park. “What’s Computational Thinking?: Secondary Science Teachers’ Conceptualizations of Computational Thinking (CT) and Perceived Barriers to CT Integration.” Journal of Science Teacher Education 34, no. 4 (May 19, 2023): 391–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2022.2110068.
Kwon, Kyungbin, Minji Jeon, Meize Guo, Ge Yan, Jiyoung Kim, Anne T. Ottenbreit-Leftwich, and Thomas A. Brush. “Computational Thinking Practices: Lessons Learned from a Problem-Based Curriculum in Primary Education.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education 55, no. 4 (July 3, 2023): 590–607. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.2014372.
Lee, Irene, and Joyce Malyn-Smith. “Computational Thinking Integration Patterns Along the Framework Defining Computational Thinking from a Disciplinary Perspective.” Journal of Science Education and Technology 29, no. 1 (February 22, 2020): 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09802-x.
Lee, Joohi, Candace Joswick, and Kathryn Pole. “Classroom Play and Activities to Support Computational Thinking Development in Early Childhood.” Early Childhood Education Journal 51, no. 3 (March 4, 2023): 457–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01319-0.
Liu, Yong, and Attila Pásztor. “Effects of Problem-Based Learning Instructional Intervention on Critical Thinking in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 45 (September 2022): 101069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101069.
Ma, Jingsi, Yi Zhang, Zhifang Zhu, Sunan Zhao, and Qiyun Wang. “Game-Based Learning for Students’ Computational Thinking: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Educational Computing Research 61, no. 7 (December 14, 2023): 1430–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331231178948.
Moreno-Palma, Natalia, Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena, José-María Romero-Rodríguez, and María-Pilar Cáceres-Reche. “Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in the Unplugged Computational Thinking of University Students.” Education Sciences 14, no. 7 (June 25, 2024): 693. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070693.
Moust, Jos, Peter Bouhuijs, and Henk Schmidt. Introduction to Problem-Based Learning. 4th ed. Houten: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003194187.
Mumcu, Filiz, Esra Kıdıman, and Fatih Özdinç. “Integrating Computational Thinking into Mathematics Education through an Unplugged Computer Science Activity.” Journal of Pedagogical Research, June 10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202318528.
Polat, Elif, Sinan Hopcan, Sevda Kucuk, and Burak Sisman. “A Comprehensive Assessment of Secondary School Students’ Computational Thinking Skills.” British Journal of Educational Technology 52, no. 5 (September 20, 2021): 1965–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13092.
Ramirez, Alfredo, and Charles Cox. “Improving on the Range Rule of Thumb.” Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal 13, no. 1 (2012): 1–15. https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/rhumj/vol13/iss2/1.
Salleh, Norhiza Mohd, and Mohd Syafiq Aiman. “Improving the Quality of Pupils’ Response in Science Inquiry Teaching: A Participatory Action Research.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 191 (June 2015): 1310–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.482.
Shipton, Brett. “Problem-Based Learning.” In Signature Pedagogies in Police Education: Teaching Recruits to Think, Perform and Act with Integrity, 53–67. Bathurst, Australia: SpringerBriefs in Policing, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42387-1_5.
Shute, Valerie J., Chen Sun, and Jodi Asbell-Clarke. “Demystifying Computational Thinking.” Educational Research Review 22 (November 2017): 142–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.09.003.
Silva, Edelberto Franco, Bruno Jose Dembogurski, and Gustavo Silva Semaan. “A Literature Review of Computational Thinking in Early Ages.” International Journal of Early Years Education 31, no. 3 (July 3, 2023): 753–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2022.2107491.
Suciati, S., S. Silvita, O. Prasetyo, M. D. Fauziah, K. D. Santika, A. M. Norawi, and H. T. Rahman. “Problem-Based Learning Models: Their Effectiveness in Improving Creative Thinking Skills of Students with Different Academic Skills in Science Learning.” Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia 12, no. 4 (January 12, 2024): 672–83. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v12i4.44752.
Sugiyono. Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, Dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta, 2019.
Ulger, Kani. “The Effect of Problem-Based Learning on the Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking Disposition of Students in Visual Arts Education.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning 12, no. 1 (March 6, 2018). https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1649.
Utari, Setiya, Alfiani Alfiani, Selly Feranie, Lina Aviyanti, Ika Mustika Sari, and Lilik Hasanah. “Application of Learning Cycle 5e Model Aided Cmaptools-Based Media Prototype to Improve Student Cognitive Learning Outcomes.” Applied Physics Research 5, no. 4 (July 11, 2013). https://doi.org/10.5539/apr.v5n4p69.
Waterman, Kevin P, Lynn Goldsmith, and Marian Pasquale. “Integrating Computational Thinking into Elementary Science Curriculum: An Examination of Activities That Support Students’ Computational Thinking in the Service of Disciplinary Learning.” Journal of Science Education and Technology 29, no. 1 (February 22, 2020): 53–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-019-09801-y.
Weintrop, David, Elham Beheshti, Michael Horn, Kai Orton, Kemi Jona, Laura Trouille, and Uri Wilensky. “Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms.” Journal of Science Education and Technology 25, no. 1 (February 8, 2016): 127–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9581-5.
Weintrop, David, Daisy Rutstein, Marie Bienkowski, and Steven McGee. “Assessment of Computational Thinking.” In Computational Thinking in Education, 90–111. New York: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003102991-6.
Wijnia, Lisette, Gera Noordzij, Lidia R. Arends, Remigius M. J. P. Rikers, and Sofie M. M. Loyens. “The Effects of Problem-Based, Project-Based, and Case-Based Learning on Students’ Motivation: A Meta-Analysis.” Educational Psychology Review 36, no. 1 (March 28, 2024): 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09864-3.
Wing, Jeannette M. “Computational Thinking’s Influence on Research and Education for All.” Italian Journal of Educational Technology 25, no. 2 (2017): 7–14. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17471/2499-4324/922.
Wing, Jeannette M. “Computational Thinking and Thinking about Computing.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 366, no. 1881 (October 28, 2008): 3717–25. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2008.0118.
Ye, Huiyan, Biyao Liang, Oi-Lam Ng, and Ching Sing Chai. “Integration of Computational Thinking in K-12 Mathematics Education: A Systematic Review on CT-Based Mathematics Instruction and Student Learning.” International Journal of STEM Education 10, no. 1 (January 18, 2023): 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00396-w.
Yew, Elaine H.J., and Karen Goh. “Problem-Based Learning: An Overview of Its Process and Impact on Learning.” Health Professions Education 2, no. 2 (December 2016): 75–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2016.01.004.
Zumbach, Joerg, and Claudia Prescher. “Problem-Based Learning and Case-Based Learning.” In International Handbook of Psychology Learning and Teaching, 1235–53. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Cham, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28745-0_58.
Published
2024-11-04
How to Cite
Romadani, M. N. H., Ariyanti, G., & Winarsih. (2024). Improving the Computational Thinking Abilities of Junior High School Students Through Problem-Based Learning. Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan, 13(2), 269-292. https://doi.org/10.24239/pdg.Vol13.Iss2.582