A Comparison of the Programming‐Oriented Computational Thinking Skills of Engineering and Nonengineering Students at Turkish Universities

This study examines the programming‐oriented computational thinking (PoCT) skills of engineering and nonengineering faculty students, comparing them in terms of grade level and the three subdimensions of PoCT: Conceptual knowledge, algorithmic thinking, and evaluation. Additionally, the study investigates the extent to which students' PoCT skill levels can be predicted by programming language self‐efficacy and design thinking skill through hierarchical regression analysis. The data of 571 computer science students from two types of faculties in Turkish universities were analysed. The findings revealed that engineering students had superior computational thinking skills to their nonengineering counterparts, as well as a slightly higher predictive power of programming self‐efficacy and design thinking on computational thinking. These results offer valuable insights and strategies for developing instructional practices that address the disadvantages faced by nonengineering disciplines.