Investigation of the effect of block-based applications on computational thinking skills

The aim of this study is to answer the questions of how do secondary school students in Turkey learn which sub-skills of Computational Thinking (CT), that are basic needs for all students in the world, through the block-based application (code.org), which aims to bring Computational Thinking Skills (CTS), and how many of the skills do they learn. For this reason, the target population of the study is the 5th and 6th grade students studying in secondary school during the 2021-2022 academic year in Turkey. Designed with a sequential transformational model; Computational Thinking Skill Levels Scale (CTSLS), CTS observation and interview forms were used in the study. Six code.org course applications selected according to the age of the students were applied to the students individually via distance education. The lessons were observed while being recorded and interviews were held at the end of the lesson. CTSLS given twice, before and after the application to the students were compared. Due to the individual course application, it was studied with seven volunteer students, who were chosen according to the mixed methods suitability sample. CTS exhibited by the students in the lessons were analyzed descriptively according to CTSLS, course durations individually completed, CTS for each course, CT sub-skills they showed in each lesson according to their CTSLS levels and their individual progress. According to the data obtained from the study; it is concluded that there is no significant difference between pre- and post-test results of CTSLS, and there is no significant difference between the middle and high-level students in the computational thinking skills among their CTSLS levels. it was observed that the CTS of the students in the lessons showed individual differences and were examined in detail.