Keywords
programming
computational thinking
prior knowledge
secondary school students informatičko obrazovanje
programiranje
računalno razmišljanje
predznanje
učenici srednjih škola
How to Cite
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the level of prior knowledge of first-year grammar school students regarding the fundamentals of programming acquired during primary education, as well as to analyse the relationship between prior knowledge, participation in elective computer science courses, and students’ attitudes towards programming. The study included 96 students from general and science-oriented grammar schools. Data were collected using an online questionnaire consisting of questions about students’ previous experience, a scale measuring attitudes towards programming, and a prior knowledge test covering basic programming concepts in the Python programming language. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman’s correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The results revealed considerable heterogeneity in students’ prior knowledge at the beginning of secondary education. Students who attended elective informatics courses in the upper grades of primary school achieved statistically significantly higher results on the prior knowledge test compared to students who did not attend elective informatics courses. Furthermore, statistically significant positive correlations were found between positive attitudes towards programming and achievement on the prior knowledge test. The strongest correlations were identified for the perceived usefulness of programming for future employment and for statements related to students’ interest in programming. The findings highlight the importance of the continuous development of computational thinking and programming skills during primary education, as well as the need to adapt teaching approaches to different levels of prior knowledge when students enter secondary school. The results also emphasise the importance of motivational and affective factors in learning programming.References
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