A multigroup structural equation modeling analysis of students' perception, motivation, and performance in...

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Cognitive Science
• Computer Science Education

Background:

• Student perceptions of learning are crucial for motivation and academic achievement.
• Research on computational thinking (CT) education has largely overlooked the role of student perceptions.
• Understanding these perceptions is vital for improving CT instruction and learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how students' perceptions of CT influence their motivation and performance in acquiring CT skills.
• To examine potential gender differences in the structural relationships between perceptions, motivation, and CT performance.
• To provide insights for enhancing CT education practices and research.

Main Methods:

• Employed a quantitative approach using multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM).
• Recruited 285 high school students from an urban Chinese setting.
• Analyzed the direct and indirect effects of perceptions on motivation and performance, considering gender as a moderator.

Main Results:

• Students' perceptions of CT positively predicted both CT performance and learning motivation.
• Self-efficacy and learning goal orientation (LGO) significantly enhanced CT performance.
• A significant positive correlation between CT perceptions and motivational factors (self-efficacy, LGO) was found in males, but not in females.

Conclusions:

• Student perceptions are a key factor in computational thinking acquisition, influencing both performance and motivation.
• Motivational constructs like self-efficacy and LGO play a significant role in CT performance.
• Gender-specific differences exist in how CT perceptions relate to motivational factors, suggesting tailored educational approaches may be beneficial.