Computational Thinking and Learning Engagement in EDP-Based STEM Learning: A Correlational Study from a Gender Perspective
Diana Maulidia (a), Nanang Winarno (a*), Lilik Hasanah (b)

a) Department of Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, West Java, Indonesia
*nanang_winarno[at]upi.edu
b) Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between Computational Thinking (CT) and Learning Engagement (LE) among junior high school students in a STEM-based learning context. Using a quantitative correlational design, the research investigated how CT and LE interacted following an Engineering Design Process (EDP)-based STEM learning intervention centered on a water turbine project. Participants were divided into control and experimental groups exposed to different instructional approaches. Data were collected through post-tests and normalized gain scores derived from CT and LE instruments, then analyzed using Spearman^s rank-order correlation. The findings revealed strong and statistically significant positive relationships between CT and LE in both groups, with the experimental class showing a higher correlation (&#961- = 0.776, p < 0.01) than the control class (&#961- = 0.689, p < 0.01). Analyses based on normalized gain scores confirmed consistent patterns, indicating that increases in engagement were associated with enhanced computational reasoning. Gender-based analysis provided additional insight. In the control group, the CT-LE relationship was weak and non-significant among male students (&#961- = 0.140, p = 0.591) but strong among females (&#961- = 0.789, p < 0.01). Conversely, both male (&#961- = 0.588, p < 0.05) and female (&#961- = 0.812, p < 0.01) students in the experimental group demonstrated significant positive relationships. Overall, the findings suggest that EDP-based STEM learning effectively integrates affective and cognitive dimensions of learning, fostering deeper engagement and equitable development of computational thinking across genders.

Keywords: computational thinking, learning engagement, STEM

Topic: STEM Education and Technology