Proposal for Evaluating the Programming Thinking Process in Lower Elementary School Grades

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to obtain the fundamental knowledge concerning the “programming thinking” process in a learning activity that incorporated programming in the lower grades of elementary school to examine appropriate elementary school programming education based on the developmental stage. We conducted a trial programming practice using the Scratch visual programming environment, with the theme of the study of the living environment. Participants were 33 second graders. The results of the analysis show that programming experience can foster programming thinking involving such concepts as “decomposition,” “abstraction,” and “algorithms.” The study indicated that the lower grades of elementary school require learning activities that incorporate programming for the development of programming thinking.