The integration of computational thinking (CT) and mathematics learning in K–12 education has garnered increasing scholarly interest; however, its application within the domain of probability remains underexplored. This study designed and implemented a seven-week Scratch-based probability module and investigated its effects on students’ CT and mathematics learning, as well as influencing factors: gender and prior programming experience. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 31 seventh-grade students at a Shanghai middle school via pre- and post-tests, interviews, and students’ digital makings. The results revealed that the Scratch-based probability module significantly enhanced students’ CT concepts (particularly the ‘conditionals’ concept), CT perspectives: ‘expressing’ and ‘connecting’, and facilitated students’ mathematics learning, with notable improvements in ‘classical probability’ and ‘compound events’. While gender moderately influenced CT concept mastery, no significant difference existed in mathematics concept performance. Prior programming experience showed no significant influences on performance in either CT concepts or mathematics concepts. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on CT integration in mathematics education by broadening the scope of mathematical content suitable for CT integration, offering practical implications for curriculum-aligned CT integration, and shedding light on the complex interplay between CT and mathematical learning.
Zhang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.