How Unplugged Computational Thinking Shapes Students' Creative Thinking: Evidence From the Human Nervous and Endocrine Systems

Abstract

This study offers a new and innovative perspective by examining the interaction between two important 21st-century skills-creative thinking and computational thinking (CT). Despite the growing body of research on CT and creativity, evidence regarding the effectiveness of unplugged CT activities in fostering students' creative thinking within science education remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the effect of the unplugged CT approach, implemented within the topic of the human nervous and endocrine systems, on the creative thinking dispositions of 6th-grade middle school students. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed. Students in the experimental group (n = 30) participated in unplugged CT activities, while students in the control group (n = 30) engaged in student-centered activities aligned with the current science curriculum. Results of the covariance analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group with respect to students' creative thinking dispositions. The observed increase in creative thinking dispositions in the experimental group can be attributed to the flexible and innovative learning environment provided during unplugged CT activities, where students developed their own games, designs, and models. In conclusion, this study provides concrete evidence that flexible, inquiry-based unplugged CT activities, in which students design and create their own products in science education, enhance their creativity.