The investigation of the relationship between middle school students' programming and mathematics knowledge levels

There is a strong relationship between programming and mathematics. Although there are studies in the literature that reveal this relationship, research conducted at the national level remains limited. Therefore, there is a need for studies that explore the connection between programming and mathematics within the national context. Moreover, no studies have been found in the literature that specifically examine the relationship between programming topics and mathematics topics. Both nationally and internationally, further research is required to investigate which mathematical subjects are associated with programming knowledge. This study aims to identify the knowledge levels of seventh-grade middle school students in block-based programming and mathematics, and to evaluate the relationship between these two domains. Accordingly, after determining students' knowledge levels in block-based programming and mathematics, the study investigates the correlation between them and offers suggestions for improving students' programming performance. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and a descriptive survey model was employed. Within this model, knowledge tests were administered to determine the students' levels in programming and mathematics. The study group consisted of 252 seventh-grade students enrolled in two public middle schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Ceyhan, Adana during the 2024–2025 academic year. As data collection tools, the researcher developed a Block-Based Programming Knowledge Test and a Mathematics Knowledge Test to assess students' knowledge in both domains. The research findings revealed that students' knowledge levels in both block-based programming and mathematics were low. When examining the relationship between block-based programming and mathematics knowledge, a high-level positive and significant correlation was found. In terms of the relationship between specific programming and mathematics topics, a moderate-level significant correlation was identified. In conclusion, it is considered that in order to enhance the effectiveness of programming instruction, the achievement levels in mathematics topics that are related to programming should also be improved. Future studies are recommended to investigate not only knowledge levels but also the skill levels in both mathematics and programming. Keywords: Programming mathematics relationship, block based programming, mathematics