Fostering computational and systems thinking skills in preschoolers through unplugged coding and engineering design activities

Background The increasing importance of STEM education has enhanced interest in developing computational thinking (CT) and systems thinking (ST) skills at an early age. Research indicates that integrating CT and ST into early childhood education programs has positive effects on children’s learning outcomes.Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of unplugged coding and engineering design-based activities on the CT and ST skills of preschool children aged 60–72 months.Sample This study was conducted with 51 children aged 60–72 months, enrolled in a public school in a province in southwestern Turkey. A purposive sampling method was used to select participants, all of whom participated voluntarily and were five years old. Each assigned group consisted of 17 preschoolers.Design and methods As a quasi-experimental design, the study involved two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group participated in unplugged coding activities, while the second group engaged in engineering design-based activities. The control group followed the standard preschool curriculum. Each group consisted of 17 preschoolers aged 60–72 months. The Computational Thinking Skills Rubric and the Systems Thinking Assessment Rubric used as data collection tools.Results Results showed that both interventions significantly improved CT and ST skills. Unplugged coding activities were found to be more effective than engineering design-based activities in fostering CT skills, whereas engineering design activities contributed more to ST skills development.Conclusions These findings highlight the need for integrating unplugged coding and engineering activities in early childhood education to enhance cognitive skills beyond standard curricula. Future research should explore long-term effects and the potential benefits of combining these approaches for a more comprehensive skill development.