Evaluation of block-based coding applications in the context of transformation geometry thinking levels and course flow

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of block-based coding applications on the development of students' transformation geometry thinking levels and the flow of the course. Method: The embedded mixed design model was used in the research. A case study was used in the qualitative part of the research, and a single-group pre-test, post-test experimental design was used in the quantitative part. The study group of the research consists of 20 fifth and sixth grade students studying at a public school in Adana in the second semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. In the research, an 8-week application was carried out with the students. In this application, translation, rotation, reflection transformations and their properties are explained to the students with the help of activities. In the qualitative part of the research, clinical interviews were conducted with 3 low, medium and high-level students selected from the study group. Additionally, in addition to qualitative findings, "Van Hiele Transformation Geometry Thinking Levels Test" and "Mathematics Lesson Flow Scale" were used for quantitative findings. The scales were administered to the students as pre-test and post-test before and after the study. The pre-test and post-test level changes of the students' Van Hiele transformation geometry thinking levels were analyzed descriptively and tabulated. In addition, the flow scale pre-test and post-test score averages were taken and the results were shown in the table and column chart. Results: The data obtained from the research showed that explaining the transformation geometry topics of rotation, translation and reflection in the Scratch application increased the transformation geometry thinking levels of all but one student. At the end of the application, it was seen that the majority of the students were at the informal inference level. According to the pre-test and post-test results, it was observed that flow states increased and anxiety and boredom decreased. Conclusion and Suggestions: The findings of the research showed that teaching abstract translation, rotation and reflection transformations to 5th and 6th grade secondary school students with the help of codes in the Scratch program contributed to the development of students' geometric thinking levels. Although the application seems to have a positive effect on students in general, it has been observed that the application is insufficient in rotation transformation. For this reason, it was determined that the majority of the students still could not grasp the rotation transformation and its properties at the end of the application. At the end of the application, it was seen that the students understood and grasped the properties of translation, reflection transformations and the coordinate system very well. In the Scratch application, it has been observed that the activities that students do to teach translation, rotation and reflection transformations experience flow when the task difficulty is suitable for the student's geometric thinking level, boredom when the task difficulty is below the student's level, and anxiety when the task difficulty is above the student's level. Since the Scratch program is insufficient in rotation transformation, it would be more useful to use dynamic geometry software in which rotation transformation can be taught better in future studies.