The impact of middle school students' academic self-efficacy, self-regulation, and metacognitive awareness on their computational thinking skills

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of middle school students' academic self-efficacy, self-regulation, and metacognitive awareness levels on their computational thinking skills. Computational thinking refers to the ability to use algorithmic and analytical thinking in problem-solving, a skill that is gaining increasing importance in today's educational curricula. Within this framework, the study investigates how students' individual characteristics that support learning processes contribute to the development of computational thinking skills. In the study, quantitative data collection method was used. In the quantitative dimension, academic self-efficacy, self-regulation and metacognitive awareness levels of secondary school students were measured with the help of various scales, and their computational thinking skills were evaluated through specific problem solving tasks. The findings indicate that academic self-efficacy, self-regulation, and metacognitive awareness play a significant role in the development of computational thinking skills. In particular, students with high levels of self-regulation and metacognitive awareness were found to use more effective strategies in problem-solving processes and develop creative solutions. Additionally, the impact of these individual characteristics on computational thinking skills was observed to vary according to demographic factors such as age, gender, and educational level. The results of the study suggest that educational programs should incorporate strategies aimed at enhancing self-efficacy, self-regulation, and metacognitive awareness to improve students' computational thinking skills. In this context, recommendations were provided for instructional processes to better support students' problem-solving and analytical thinking abilities. This study offers a valuable resource for educators and policymakers to guide the process of developing students' 21st-century skills