“And what do you think is inside a computer?”: Exploring 6–9 Graders’ Preconceptions about Computer Functionality

Children encounter computers daily, but how do they understand what happens inside these machines? Existing literature has not examined children’s preconceptions about computer principles sufficiently. Hence, we conducted a mixed-methods study ( \(N=53\) , \(n6+7grades=29\) , \(n8+9grades=24\) ) in diverse regions of the Czech Republic with the aim of identifying the said preconceptions. We used 45-min-long semi-structured interviews and conducted an inductive thematic analysis, and identified 103 preconceptions, 90 of which have never been described in the literature previously. Based on their occurrence, we performed a two-step cluster analysis with automatic cluster detection, identifying three participant groups based on their knowledge level: experts, intermediates, and beginners. Experts comprehended the most abstract concepts, such as the interaction between RAM and the processor and the existence of different types of memory. Intermediates understood some abstract concepts, while beginner participants lacked understanding of most abstract concepts and viewed the computer as a magical black box. Our research significantly expands the number of identified preconceptions about computer principles. This could serve as a valuable basis for developing evidence-based, constructivist teaching materials and practices, addressing a gap that exists in many education systems.