Correlation between High School Students’ Computational Thinking and Their Performance in STEM and Language Courses

Abstract

According to numerous researchers, a clear and direct correlation exists between Computational Thinking (CT) and courses falling under the purview of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), thereby advocating for the integration of CT into the curricula of STEM courses. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that only a few studies have scrutinized this correlation in-depth. Most such studies connect the correlation tacitly and predominantly concentrate on the empirical assessment of CT within the curriculum of one STEM discipline. This research seeks to evaluate the Computational Thinking abilities of 80 high school students in Greece and discern the extent of correlation with their academic performance in STEM and Greek language courses. A longitudinal survey was executed to accomplish this objective, commencing with administering a test designed to gauge the fundamental components of Computational Thinking. It is worth noting that this test draws its inspiration from internationally recognized computer competitions and serves as a credible assessment tool. Subsequently, an assessment was carried out to ascertain the degree of correlation between students’ Computational Thinking aptitude and their written performance in the subjects encompassed by the STEM category and the Greek language courses. The outcomes of this investigation revealed the presence of a statistically significant correlation between students’ Computational Thinking proficiency and their performance in these academic subjects, further extending to the academic direction of study chosen by the students. Based on the findings of this research, implications and pedagogical recommendations are delineated while concurrently acknowledging the limitations encountered during this study.

Keywords

• computational thinking assessment
• latent trait
• STEM courses
• language course
• item response theory