Integrating computational thinking in math courses for 3rd and 4th grade students with learning disabilities via scratch

Abstract

This study investigates primarily the use of Computational Thinking in teaching mathematical concepts of Perimeter and Area. For those 3rd and 4th Grade students with learning disabilities, specifically, the extent to which their construction and understanding of mathematical concepts and their development of computational thinking are explored. For these reasons, the experimental research method is the one-group pretest-posttest design that we adopted which was conducted with 26 students, identified as learning disabilities by the committee for Identification and Placement of Gifted and Disabled Student. Data collected are analyzed with the Paired Sample t-test to comparison of these students in their learning outcomes and difference in aspects of construction of mathematical concepts and development of computational thinking after teaching. We find this teaching method enhances the learning outcomes and performance in the Math unit of Perimeter and Area and the performance of the development of computational thinking of these students after the intervention (160 minutes).