Assessing middle school students’ computational thinking through mathematical modeling: An action research study
Journal of Educational Research, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/00220671.2026.2622325
- Dergi Adı: Journal of Educational Research
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, ABI/INFORM, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Index Islamicus, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
- Anahtar Kelimeler: action research, assessment, Computational thinking, mathematical modeling, middle school
- Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigates how middle school students enact computational thinking (CT) through mathematical modeling tasks in regular instruction. Conducted as practitioner-led action research over 4 weeks with 28 seventh-grade students in a Turkish public school, we collected student artifacts, classroom observations, and short interviews. A qualitative content analysis combined deductive codes for five CT dimensions with inductive categories; triangulation and high inter-rater agreement supported trustworthiness. Three patterns emerged: CT as iterative construction across representation, testing, and revision; CT through real-world anchoring that blends data handling with algorithmic strategies; and emergent CT in collaborative spaces where reasoning is externalized. Modeling-based tasks made students’ CT visible without computers and enabled rubric-guided assessment during instruction. We discuss implications for teachers and schools seeking low-tech CT integration and outline directions for future research.