A Study of Enhancing Computational Thinking Skills through STEAM Robotics Activities

Abstract

STEAM robotics activities are designed to be an enhancement on students’ computational thinking skills, which are claimed to be essential for the 21st century. The aims of this study were to examine the learning outcomes of secondary students’ computational thinking skills through the use of STEAM robotics activities, and to investigate the students’ satisfaction after the implementation of STEAM robotics activities. A quasi-experimental research design was deployed in this study. The research participants were 37 eleventh-grade students of Private Islamic Schools in Yala province, Thailand. A quiz with pre- and post-test and satisfaction questionnaires were employed as data. Descriptive statistics – including mean, standard deviation and a pair sample t-test – was used to analyse the collected data. The findings were that students’ learning outcomes indicated a significant improvement in their computational skills after the use of STEAM robotics activities as compared with before, with the statistical level of significance of 0.05. In response to the second research question, the overall satisfaction of the students after the use of such STEAM robotics activities was high (mean=4.01; SD=0.54).

Application of the hybrid learning project STEAMER in science courses for prospective elementary school teachers: Computational thinking and creative thinking

“…This research is in line with previous research which shows that the STEAM approach is an effective teaching method for improving computational thinking skills (Bedar & Al-Shboul, 2020). Other relevant findings show that student learning outcomes increased significantly regarding computing skills after using the STEAM approach (Phadung et al, 2021). Also, other research has found that the integrative STEAM-CT learning process can improve students' critical attitudes and creative thinking skills (Mariana & Kristanto, 2023).…”

Effective instruction conditions for educational robotics to develop programming ability of K‐12 students: A meta‐analysis

“…However, at present, the research on ER education is more focused on the third to sixth grades of primary schools in compulsory education stage (Ardito et al, 2020; Bati, 2022; Kert et al, 2020; Taylor & Baek, 2018). ER education in senior high school is mostly in the form of competitions for senior high school students to pursue further studies and future engineering and computer career choices (Chen et al, 2020; Chookaew et al, 2018; Phadung et al, 2019). Therefore, the focus should be put to students' cognitive development characteristics and learning needs when carrying out ER teaching in different grades.…”

“…Generally speaking, there are mainstream form of ER activities in formal and informal educational environments. First, the subject‐based project activities of the course focus on solving a situational problem, which usually lasted within 1 week (Muneeroh Phadung et al, 2019; Chookaew et al, 2018; Angeli & Valanides, 2020). The second type is ER activities based on summer camp, sessions, and the specific subject content (such as the issue of estuary ecosystem).…”

“…In view of the project characteristics of ER, the instruction intervention duration is also different. Some of the existing ER practise were after‐school extracurricular that last for 1–2 days (Muneeroh Phadung et al, 2019), while others may be teaching tasks that last for the whole semester (Hutchins et al, 2019). Sun et al (2021) proved that the intervention period of programming activity ranging from 1 week to 1 month is more effective on promoting CT skills of students.…”

Consciência fonológica: foco na consciência silábica no processo de alfabetização

“…A avaliaça o de desempenho foi feita atrave s de pre -testes e po s-testes, como realizado em [Phadung et al 2018], envolvendo questo es de lo gica de diversos ní veis, ale m de entrevistas com os alunos, para avaliar a motivaça o e a possibilidade de melhoramentos das aço es, ale m da observaça o da evoluça o intelectual, visando aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos, como realizado em [Oliveira; Araújo 2016]. Dois alunos iniciaram o projeto sem conhecimento de lo gica de programaça o ou robo tica, o terceiro aluno tinha conhecimento pre vio de lo gica de programaça o, mas na o havia trabalhado com robo tica.…”