The investigation of different teaching strategies during teaching programming process in block based environment in terms of different factors

This study aims to investigate how 5th Grade students learn Scratch programming through two different learning and teaching strategies which are face-to-face education and flipped learning based on technology supported environment and the effects of these programming methods on the computational thinking skills of the students. 79 students among 5th graders from a private school participated in this study. The Exploratory Sequential Design which is one of the combined research method including both quantitative and qualitative methods was used. In the quasi-experimental study, which pre-test and post-test were compared with a control group, Self-Sufficiency Perception Evaluation Scale for Computational Thinking Skills and Bilge Kunduz International Informatics and Computational Thinking Questions were conducted as pre-test and post-test. Focus group interviews with 24 students were carried out after the implementation. Weekly achievement tests related to the identified objectives were conducted and the programs written by the students during the implementation were analysed and evaluated through Dr. Scratch during the implementation. The study has revealed that face-to-face education and flipped learning has no statistically effect on learning Scratch programming and computational thinking skills. When the scores of the pre-test and post-test of Self-Sufficiency Perception Evaluation Scale for Computational Thinking Skill were analysed, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of computational thinking skills and self-sufficiency perceptions while a significant difference occurs on the scores of pre-test and post-test within the groups. Because of the significant difference between the scores of pre-test and post-test and the scores of developing algorithm and problem solving competence, it can be said that the programming method has an important role on the increase of this competence. It can also be stated that programming method has a positive effect on self-sufficiency related to other abilities. Weekly achievement tests have revealed that the average of the control group was high in some weeks while the average of the experimental group was high in other weeks. Similarly, the average of the control group was high in some weeks while the average of the experimental group was high in other weeks in some programmes according to the average scores of the programmes analysed by Dr. Scratch. When the students' views through the focus group interviews has been analysed, the students in the flipped classroom has expressed that it is better to learn by yourself although they cannot get immediate help while the students in the face-to-face classroom has stated that it is better to learn from a teacher although they have some difficulties because of classroom factors, the speed of the lesson and missing the subject taught by the teacher. However, both groups have expressed that discovery learning is better and their abilities to create game and animations develop during the lessons.