COMPUTATIONAL THINKING AS A COGNITIVE MEDIATOR FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARENESS IN PRIMARY SCIENCE EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1163042Keywords:
Computational Thinking, Constructivism, Cognitive Mechanism, Module Intervention, Sustainability EducationAbstract
The study investigates the role of computational thinking (CT) as a mediator in increasing renewable energy awareness among primary level students in Sabah. While CT is widely conceptualised as learning outcome, this study restructures it as a mechanism through which sustainability learning occurs. This is a quasi-experimental design which involved 78 year 4 students parted into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received CT module intervention while control group followed conventional teaching. Researcher used Renewable Energy Awareness (REA) test and computational thinking pre-post-test to examine computational thinking and renewable energy awareness. PROCESS Model 4 by Andrew F. Hayes (2018) were used to analyse mediation analysis. Finding revealed CT-Module significantly improved computational thinking (B=25.00, p <.001), and computational thinking significantly predicted renewable energy awareness (B = 0.54, p <.001). The direct effect of the intervention for increasing renewable energy awareness was not significant (B = 1.95, p <.373) when CT was included in the model. However, the indirect effect was significant with (effect = 13.56, 95% CI [9.41,17.43]), proving full mediation. The findings highlights that computational thinking fully mediates relationship between module intervention and renewable energy awareness, suggest that the effectiveness of CT-Module depends on its ability to develop students’ cognitive processes than mere content delivery. The study contributes to sustainability education by reframing CT as cognitive mediator that supports high order thinking and complex concept understanding. The study brings in light the importance of integrating computational thinking in complex science concept among young learners to provide better understanding and increased awareness about environment besides highlights constructivist approach that lays strong foundation for cognitive learning and behavioural change.
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