Supporting Students’ Computational Thinking and Mathematical Thinking in the Mathematics Classroom

Abstract

Both computational thinking (CT) and mathematical thinking (MT) have become popular in recent years and both have been recognized as essential skills for all students, as future members of this software-driven world. However, little is known about how to support students developing CT in combination with MT skills in the mathematics classroom. It is assumed that CT and MT are linked through shared skills, among which algorithmic thinking. In this design-oriented research, we explored how to support 16-17-year old pre-university students in developing CT and MT skills, by means of algorithmic thinking. We designed a 5-hour series of learning activities, to address four subskills of algorithmic thinking: (a) the ability to read an algorithm, (b) the ability to specify a problem, (c) the ability to construct an algorithm, and (d) the ability to understand an algorithm. The activities were piloted in two groups, involving 53 students in total. The data were gathered through mini-interviews and students’ written work. Results showed an increase of three of the four subskills of algorithmic thinking in the written documents over the course of the pilot. Moreover, the results of the mini-interviews showed that most students were able to express a general definition of algorithmic thinking. Therefore, the results from the study suggest that an AToriented teaching sequence has the potential of supporting students in developing both CT and MT skills.