The Effects of Self‐Explanation on Secondary School Students' Computational Thinking and Programming Behaviour.

Background: Computational thinking (CT) refers to the ability to represent problems, design solutions and migrate solutions computationally. While previous studies have shown that self‐explanation can enhance students' learning, few empirical studies have examined the effects of using different self...

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Published in:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 1 - 18
Main Authors: Chen, Peng, Yang, Dong, Zhao, Jia, Yang, Shu, Lavonen, Jari
Format: pictorial research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Oct2025
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Oct2025
      vid: 41
      iid: 5
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/jcal.70116
        188234214
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        atl: The Effects of Self‐Explanation on Secondary School Students' Computational Thinking and Programming Behaviour.
      aug:
        au:
          Chen, Peng
          Yang, Dong
          Zhao, Jia
          Yang, Shu
          Lavonen, Jari
        affil: College of Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
      sug:
        subj:
          Students, High School Psychosocial Factors
          Problem Solving Evaluation
          Skill Acquisition Evaluation
          Programming Languages Evaluation
          Computers and Computerization
          Learning Methods
          Outcomes of Education Evaluation
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Schools, Secondary
          Quasi-Experimental Studies
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Random Assignment
          Comparative Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Analysis of Covariance
          Health Knowledge
          Adolescent Behavior
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Conceptual Framework
          Data Analysis Software
          Funding Source
          Questionnaires
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Computational thinking (CT) refers to the ability to represent problems, design solutions and migrate solutions computationally. While previous studies have shown that self‐explanation can enhance students' learning, few empirical studies have examined the effects of using different self‐explanation prompts to cultivate students' CT skills. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of self‐explanation on students' CT skills and programming behaviours. Methods: Using a quasi‐experimental design, 60 7th‐grade students were recruited to participate in a 5‐week programme. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a group that received scaffolded self‐explanation prompts (n = 20), a group that received open‐ended self‐explanation prompts (n = 20) or a control group that received no self‐explanation prompts (n = 20). A series of analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were conducted to explore the effects of self‐explanation on learning CT skills, and lag sequential analysis (LSA) was used to examine the behavioural patterns and traits exhibited by participants in these three groups throughout the programming learning process. Results and Conclusions: The results revealed that the students in the experimental groups (i.e., both the scaffolded and the open‐ended self‐explanation groups) exhibited significantly better CT skills than did those in the control group. Additionally, the students in the experimental groups exhibited more logical and systematic thinking behaviours (e.g., explanations, conclusions, operational simulations and predictions) than did those in the control group. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights that can support the design of instructional strategies to promote students' CT through programming.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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