Research of effects of coding education on primary school students

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the coding education on primary school students. Mixed research model was used by providing the benefits of qualitative and quantitative methods and corroborating the researches. Case study is used as a qualitative research design in order to investigate the qualitative data. One of the experimental design, pre-test and pro-test model was used to investigate the quantitative data. Coding skill test, developed by the researcher, was used for gathering quantitative data. An implementation includes coding education was performed to 26 primary school students for 6 weeks in 2017-2018 educational year in Bolu. Quantitative data was analysed by SPSS 23.0 software. Paired sample T-test was used to analyse the data. Qualitative data was obtained by using semi-structured interview form and the acquired data was analysed by content analysis method. Analysing the coding education skill tests, it is clear that there is a statically significant difference between pre-test and post-test and the students got higher points from coding skill test. When the interview data were analysed, it was determined that the students thought the process planned for coding training as useful, instructive and entertaining. Unplugged coding activities prepare the ground to coding activities on the computer. As far as the computerised coding activities are permanent and they provide the products, they are preferred more and thus there is an increase at interest and motivation of getting coding education and the students wanted to improve themselves. Considering the results of the research in general, it is found out that applied coding education increased the coding abilities of the students. Moreover, it is found out that unplugged coding process should be applied before the coding activities on the computer and the children like producing while coding activities on the computer and they want to play the games, they programmed.