Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science
Computational thinking (CT) is regarded as the conceptual basis required for identifying and solving real-world problems through algorithmic approaches to achieve transferable solutions. Developing students' CT in primary school stages is essential and has received considerable attention. Meanw...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825001374 |
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| author | Yuhan Dong Hongliang Ma Hongying Li Bin Jing Hongchao Liu |
| author_facet | Yuhan Dong Hongliang Ma Hongying Li Bin Jing Hongchao Liu |
| author_sort | Yuhan Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Computational thinking (CT) is regarded as the conceptual basis required for identifying and solving real-world problems through algorithmic approaches to achieve transferable solutions. Developing students' CT in primary school stages is essential and has received considerable attention. Meanwhile, researchers incorporated digital badges into classrooms to improve students' learning motivation in computer science (CS). However, few solid empirical studies analyze the effects of the digital badges approach in CS education to develop students' CT. Therefore, to bridge this gap, this study designed and implemented a block-based programming course in a primary school and examined the impact of the digital badges approach on pupils' CT skills and self-efficacy and learning motivation in CS. A quasi-experimental design was conducted among 99 third-grade students across three classes. The results revealed that the adapted digital badges in primary school (1) significantly improved the students' CT skills, (2) had no significant positive impact on their CT self-efficacy or learning motivation in CS, and (3) showed no mediating effect of learning motivation on the relationship between CT skills and CT self-efficacy. In addition, we found that whether students could see only their own digital badges or also those of others had no impact on CT skills, self-efficacy, or learning motivation in CS. These findings have implications for the design of digital badge educational interventions intended to promote students' CT and learning motivation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-28cfd0cf58dc403897a73030656f837e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-28cfd0cf58dc403897a73030656f837e2025-08-20T03:10:54ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-04-0125410482410.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104824Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer scienceYuhan Dong0Hongliang Ma1Hongying Li2Bin Jing3Hongchao Liu4Research Center for AI and STEM Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, ChinaFaculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding author.Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, ChinaFaculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, ChinaFaculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, ChinaComputational thinking (CT) is regarded as the conceptual basis required for identifying and solving real-world problems through algorithmic approaches to achieve transferable solutions. Developing students' CT in primary school stages is essential and has received considerable attention. Meanwhile, researchers incorporated digital badges into classrooms to improve students' learning motivation in computer science (CS). However, few solid empirical studies analyze the effects of the digital badges approach in CS education to develop students' CT. Therefore, to bridge this gap, this study designed and implemented a block-based programming course in a primary school and examined the impact of the digital badges approach on pupils' CT skills and self-efficacy and learning motivation in CS. A quasi-experimental design was conducted among 99 third-grade students across three classes. The results revealed that the adapted digital badges in primary school (1) significantly improved the students' CT skills, (2) had no significant positive impact on their CT self-efficacy or learning motivation in CS, and (3) showed no mediating effect of learning motivation on the relationship between CT skills and CT self-efficacy. In addition, we found that whether students could see only their own digital badges or also those of others had no impact on CT skills, self-efficacy, or learning motivation in CS. These findings have implications for the design of digital badge educational interventions intended to promote students' CT and learning motivation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825001374Computer scienceDigital badgesComputational thinking (CT) skillsCT self-efficacyLearning motivationPrimary education |
| spellingShingle | Yuhan Dong Hongliang Ma Hongying Li Bin Jing Hongchao Liu Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science Acta Psychologica Computer science Digital badges Computational thinking (CT) skills CT self-efficacy Learning motivation Primary education |
| title | Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| title_full | Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| title_fullStr | Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| title_short | Effects of digital badges on pupils' computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| title_sort | effects of digital badges on pupils computational thinking and learning motivation in computer science |
| topic | Computer science Digital badges Computational thinking (CT) skills CT self-efficacy Learning motivation Primary education |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825001374 |
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