Influence of Computational Thinking Development on Metamemory Skills in Fifth-Grade Primary School Children

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/ap.v40i140.63072

Keywords:

Computational thinking, metamemory, metacognition, school-age children

Abstract

Objective. This study aimed to examin the relationship between computational thinking skills and metacognitive abilities in primary school children. Method. Seventy-three students aged from 9 to 10 years participated. They were divided and assigned either to a computational-thinking training group (n = 43) or to a traditional-instruction group (n = 30). Computational thinking and metamemory were assessed using standardized tests. Both mediation analyses and multivariate regression models were conducted. Results. The experimental group obtained significantly higher computational-thinking scores (M = 16.42) compared to the control group (M = 10.63). Furthermore, the first group committed fewer total metamemory errors (M = 4.67) in compariason to the second (M =
7.70). The correlation between computational thinking and metamemory was significant (r = -.579, p < .001), and the model accounted 52.3% of the variance. In addition, the gender of participants influenced the computational-thinking performance, whereas maternal education predicted metamemory outcomes. To conclude, the findings provide empirical evidence of the interaction between computational thinking and metacognitive processes in childhood.

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Author Biographies

  • Carolina Robledo Castro, Universidad del Tolima

    Departamento de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia

  • Luz Helena Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Universidad del Tolima

    Departamento de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad del Tolima, Ibagué, Colombia

  • Gisella Bonilla-Santos, Universidad Surcolombiana

    Grupo Dneuropsy, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia

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Published

2026-03-26

How to Cite

Robledo Castro, C., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, L. H., & Bonilla-Santos, G. (2026). Influence of Computational Thinking Development on Metamemory Skills in Fifth-Grade Primary School Children. Actualidades En Psicología, 40(140), 21-37. https://doi.org/10.15517/ap.v40i140.63072