The development of a computational thinking model for KRG EFL learners

Abstract

Concepts from computer science play a significant role in other topics, and computational thinking is becoming acknowledged as a crucial ability for all people. As a result, there is growing interest in fostering computational thinking (CT) as early as the comprehensive school level. Consequently, research is required to create a model that describes the aspects of CT and to establish a shared understanding of CT skills. This study provides an overview of the CT dimensions as defined in scientific publications through a thorough literature review. A scale has been created for this study to assess the students' computational thinking skills (CTS) levels. The CTS is a five-point Likert scale with 29 items that can be categorized into five components. Four hundred fifty KRG EFL students who completed their undergraduate and associate degree programs make up the study group for this study. By exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, item distinctiveness studies, internal consistency coefficients, and constancy analyses, the validity and reliability of the scale have been investigated. The scale is a robust and trustworthy assessment tool that may gauge students' computational thinking abilities, according to the results of the analyses that were done. Furthermore, people in the digital age are expected to possess computational thinking abilities, and it is necessary to determine the extent of these abilities and whether they are adequate. Finally, areas for further research and pedagogical implications are provided.