Gender differential item functioning analysis in measuring computational thinking disposition among secondary school...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Computer Science Education

Background:

• Computational thinking (CT) is crucial for problem-solving using computer science principles.
• Understanding how gender influences students' CT dispositions is vital for equitable education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the influence of gender on students' cognitive, affective, and conative dispositions in computational thinking.
• To analyze the psychometric properties of the Computational Thinking Disposition Instrument (CTDI).

Main Methods:

• Survey research design with a quantitative approach.
• Probability sampling of 535 secondary school students.
• Utilized WINSTEPS software for Gender Differential Item Functioning (GDIF) analysis and descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• The CT disposition profile comprises three constructs.
• The CTDI demonstrated good GDIF features, indicating measurement invariance across genders.
• Descriptive statistics revealed specific disposition profiles related to gender.

Conclusions:

• Gender significantly influences students' computational thinking disposition profiles.
• The CTDI is a reliable instrument for assessing CT dispositions and can evaluate CT integration in curricula.
• Findings offer theoretical insights and practical implications for educators in Malaysia.