The Effect of Robotic Programming on Coding Attitude and Computational Thinking Skills toward Self-Efficacy Perception

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of coding instruction performed with the Lego Mindstorms EV3 robotic set on students' attitudes towards coding and their perceptions of computational thinking skills self-efficacy. Single group experimental research design was used in the research. The study group of the research consisted of 30 sixth grade students who studied at a secondary school in the 2019-2020 academic year. These students selected the Information Technologies and Software lesson within the context of Support and Training Course. The research was carried out with robotic coding activities for 7 weeks, two lessons per week. In order to collect the research data, the Attitude Scale for Coding Education and the The Self-Efficacy Perception Scale for Computational Thinking Skill were applied as pretest and posttest. According to the findings of the research, after teaching programming with robotic coding activities, there was a significant increase in students' positive attitudes towards coding and a decrease in their negative attitudes, but this decrease was not found to be statistically significant. In addition, it was found that there was a statistically significant change between pre-post and post-study in all sub-dimensions of students' computing thinking skills self-efficacy perceptions.

Keywords

• robotics
• coding education
• computational thinking skills
• coding attitude
• self efficacy