The effect of scratch use on problem-solving skills

This research examines the effect of mathematically themed problems designed using Scratch on the problem-solving skills of 8th-grade middle school students. The study employed an explanatory mixed-methods design. Data were collected using a one-group pretest–posttest design, a weak experimental design. The study was conducted during the 2022–2023 academic year with eight 8th-grade students from a Vocational Religious Middle School in Anatolia. A pretest comprising mathematical problems was administered as a data collection tool. Subsequently, coding activities created by the researcher using Scratch, featuring mathematical scenarios, were implemented with the students. The post-test was administered at the end of these activities. A dependent samples t-test revealed no significant mean difference between the pretest and post-test results. Recommendations were made regarding the need for a strategic focus on integrating computational thinking into the current curriculum in primary and middle school education and evaluating its effects on achievement.