A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education

This review examines current trends in Computational Thinking (CT) educational interventions. Analyzing 54 studies from 2012 to 2024, the review identifies key trends in the implementation of CT interventions, including duration, number of participants, and programming tools. Most interventions with...

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Main Authors: María Eugenia Curi, Anaclara Gerosa, Marcos Viera, Alejandra Carboni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Computers and Education Open
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557325000114
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author María Eugenia Curi
Anaclara Gerosa
Marcos Viera
Alejandra Carboni
author_facet María Eugenia Curi
Anaclara Gerosa
Marcos Viera
Alejandra Carboni
author_sort María Eugenia Curi
collection DOAJ
description This review examines current trends in Computational Thinking (CT) educational interventions. Analyzing 54 studies from 2012 to 2024, the review identifies key trends in the implementation of CT interventions, including duration, number of participants, and programming tools. Most interventions with upper-elementary students span more than a month, involve between 20 and 100 children, and use unplugged activities and visual programming environments. The review also investigates the extent to which student context data, such as gender and socioeconomic background, are considered, highlighting the importance of these factors in CT interventions. The findings suggest that while some interventions account for gender and contextual differences, there is a potential for a greater focus on these aspects to address social inequalities. This study provides valuable insights into the potential impact and inclusiveness of CT educational strategies, serving as a resource for educators, researchers, and policy makers aiming to improve CT integration into educational frameworks.
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spelling doaj-art-4807bc9bad0048439e062ea331efd6ec2025-08-20T04:01:01ZengElsevierComputers and Education Open2666-55732025-12-01910025210.1016/j.caeo.2025.100252A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary educationMaría Eugenia Curi0Anaclara Gerosa1Marcos Viera2Alejandra Carboni3Corresponding author.; Universidad de la Republica Uruguay, UruguayUniversidad de la Republica Uruguay, UruguayUniversidad de la Republica Uruguay, UruguayUniversidad de la Republica Uruguay, UruguayThis review examines current trends in Computational Thinking (CT) educational interventions. Analyzing 54 studies from 2012 to 2024, the review identifies key trends in the implementation of CT interventions, including duration, number of participants, and programming tools. Most interventions with upper-elementary students span more than a month, involve between 20 and 100 children, and use unplugged activities and visual programming environments. The review also investigates the extent to which student context data, such as gender and socioeconomic background, are considered, highlighting the importance of these factors in CT interventions. The findings suggest that while some interventions account for gender and contextual differences, there is a potential for a greater focus on these aspects to address social inequalities. This study provides valuable insights into the potential impact and inclusiveness of CT educational strategies, serving as a resource for educators, researchers, and policy makers aiming to improve CT integration into educational frameworks.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557325000114Computational thinkingK-12Educational interventionsSystematic review
spellingShingle María Eugenia Curi
Anaclara Gerosa
Marcos Viera
Alejandra Carboni
A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
Computers and Education Open
Computational thinking
K-12
Educational interventions
Systematic review
title A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
title_full A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
title_fullStr A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
title_full_unstemmed A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
title_short A review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
title_sort review of computational thinking interventions in upper elementary education
topic Computational thinking
K-12
Educational interventions
Systematic review
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666557325000114
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