An Examination of the Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Eighth-Grade Students Regarding Computational Thinking Competencies

ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine the self-efficacy perception levels of secondary school 8th-grade students towards computational thinking skills and examine the self-efficacy perception levels towards computational thinking skills in various variables. The study emphasises that positive attitudes and perceptions are necessary for computational thinking and that people should be willing to learn more about computer science. The study also aims to examine the relationship between students’ achievement grades in Mathematics, Science and Technology, English, Turkish Revolution History and Kemalism course and their computational thinking self-efficacy perceptions. Thus, it will be determined that secondary school students’ self-efficacy perceptions towards computational thinking skills are related to their achievements in which field type courses.

The research was conducted in a quantitative survey model and single survey design. The Self-Efficacy Perception Scale for Computational Thinking Skills (SCCTS) for secondary school students developed by Gülbahar, Kalelioğlu, and Kert (2018) was put into use. A total of 2247 secondary school 8th grade students, 1147 girls and 1100 boys, studying in Izmir province in the 2018-2019 academic year constitute the study sample. As a result of the analyses, the average self-efficacy perception score of 8th-grade middle school students towards computational thinking skills was above the average at 80.01 points out of 108 total scale points. It was determined that the self-efficacy perceptions of the participants differed in favour of female students according to the gender variable.