The Impact of Computational Thinking on Logical-Mathematical Reasoning in High School Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study

This article explores what impact a program of IT programming (Scratch and Python) activities has on the logical-mathematical reasoning of high school children. The sample comprised a group of 388 high school students, spanning first-year compulsory education (12 years old) up to second-year upper secondary (17 years old) students who were given the Differential and General Skills Battery (BADyG) before and after intervention through a quasi-experimental design. Statistical analysis of data involved multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), taking education level and group as independent variables. Results showed a principal significant effect of the group, with greater gains amongst the experimental group in four factors of BADyG (logical reasoning, numerical reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, and general intelligence). Significant differences were also found in terms of education level in the numerical, visual-spatial, and general intelligence factors, with higher gains observed in the early years of compulsory secondary education compared to upper secondary education. No significant effects were found in the interaction between level and group, such that the impact of intervention was consistent throughout all the school years. In sum, the results suggest that a program which promotes computational thinking can favor the development of certain skills related to logical-mathematical reasoning in high school education under the conditions of this study.