Playful Computational Thinking Learning in and Beyond Early Childhood Classrooms: Insights from Collaborative Action Research of Two Teacher-Researchers

Abstract

Blending child-led exploration with purposeful teacher guidance and clearly defined learning goals, playful learning has been promoted as a promising approach for introducing computational thinking (CT) in early childhood education (ECE). However, there is a lack of practical guidance for teachers on how to design and implement playful CT learning effectively. To address this gap, we conducted a collaborative action research project and asked these two questions: (1) How can teachers effectively prepare and design a playful learning CT program using tangible CT toys? (2) How do teachers facilitate playful learning in the CT program? Through iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting, the first and second authors (teacher-researchers) designed and implemented their CT programs in a preschool classroom and an afterschool program respectively, and collected data including video recordings of sessions, participant-generated artifacts, program documentation, and anecdotal reflection notes. Based on our thematic analysis of the data, we identified practical principles for selecting CT toys, three key themes for CT program design and preparation—interest, ownership, and application, and two forms of teacher scaffolding during implementation: embodied approach and storytelling as scaffolding and assessment. The findings highlight practical ways that teachers can enhance children’s engagement, problem-solving skills, and conceptual understanding of CT, while also promoting autonomy and creativity through coding and storytelling.