The impact of science instruction assisted with computational thinking activities on academic achievement, motivation and learning strategies

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of science teaching supported with computational thinking activities on the academic achievement in science, motivation and learning strategies of 6th grade middle school students on the subject of "Force and Motion". The research lasted for 5 weeks in the 1st semester (fall semester) of the 2022- 2023 academic year with 42 6th grade students in two different classes in a middle school in Milas district of Muğla province in the science course "Force and Motion" unit. In the study, a quasi-experimental design with pre-test- post-test control group was used. In the lessons, activities based on computational thinking were applied with the experimental group students, while the activities in the Science Curriculum were applied with the control group students. Scracth block-based coding application was used for the activities based on computational thinking. Science Academic Achievement Test, Motivation and Learning Strategies Scale were used as data collection tools. The t-test, one of the parametric tests, was used to analyze the data. As a result of the research, although there was no significant difference between the science academic achievement of the experimental group students and the control group students, there was an increase in the mean scores in favor of the experimental group. According to the post-test scores of the motivation scale of the groups, it was determined that there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in the sub-dimensions of intrinsic goal orientation, task value, learning control belief and self-efficacy belief. The learning strategies posttest scores of the groups showed that there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in the sub-dimensions of repetition, elaboration, critical thinking, metacognitive, peer collaboration, and time and study environment. Science teaching supported with activities based on computational thinking skills was effective in increasing students' achievement in science. In addition, it had a positive effect on their motivations such as internal goal orientations, task value, learning control and self-efficacy. In addition, it positively affected their learning by affecting their iteration, elaboration, critical thinking, metacognitive aspects, peer collaboration and time and working environments. KEYWORDS: Computational Thinking, Science, Motivation and Learning Strategies