Computational Thinking in pre-vocational education: A focus on coding unplugged

This is a proof-of-concept study about the implementation of Computational Thinking (CT) in pre-vocational education (ages 14-16) in the Netherlands. This educational track emphasizes practical competences as a preparation for students’ professional future. For this reason, this study aims at connecting CT to relevant processes in a professional context. We conceptualized CT as a process of (re)formulating problems in such a way that it becomes possible to solve the prob-lem with the help of computer technology. We used unplugged coding to illus-trate CT concepts such as abstracting and algorithms. In co-creation with teachers in vocational education, two exemplary lesson series were developed, taught, and evaluated with students (case 1: n=11, case 2: n=10) and teachers. Results show that students found the lessons attractive and relevant. Teachers found the lessons useful for the target group. The lessons learned from this study signify the im-portance of making CT concepts and skills explicit and of unambiguously con-necting CT skills to examples of future professional practice. In addition, CT les-sons should not be a one-time event in the curriculum.