Analysis of the level of computational thinking of future teachers: a diagnostic proposal for the design of training actions

Abstract

Computational thinking is an emerging form of literacy that seeks to foster the learning of programming in a progressive manner using basic principles of computer coding. This study assessed the computational thinking of 164 undergraduate students in early childhood and elementary education teaching degrees. Differences according to gender and previous experience in robotic programming were examined. For this purpose, the Test of Computational Thinking (TPC) was used. The results reveal that males obtained better results and that previous programming experience influenced the level of development of computational thinking. In addition, three student profiles were identified through a cluster analysis. Females with prior experience in robotic programming and the use of programming languages showed the best results on the TPC. These findings highlight the importance of performing diagnostic evaluations to know the level of competence of students in this area, as it can help identify areas for improvement and adapt training actions according to the needs of each group of students.