Technology Learning Integration in Kindergarten: From Play to Programming with ScratchJr

Widya Dwi Hardiyanti, Prayitno Prayitno

Abstract

The rapid advancement of 21st-century technology necessitates that young children become not only digital consumers but also develop 5C (Creative thinking, Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Computational thinking). One innovative approach to fostering these abilities is through early exposure to programming. However, in the context of Surakarta, Indonesia, programming learning has not yet been widely or systematically implemented in kindergarten. This study aims to explore the programming practices of children aged 5–6 using ScratchJr, a visual programming application designed specifically for young learners. A qualitative case study method was employed, involving 20 children from a Kindergarten in Surakarta. Data were gathered through direct observation and documentation of children's project outcomes during individual 30-45-minute sessions. Findings revealed that the majority of children were capable of exploring ScratchJr features and constructing basic programming sequences to create animated story projects. The children exhibited high levels of engagement, curiosity, and creativity throughout the activity. Many demonstrated an understanding of debugging and symbolic thinking. Moreover, ScratchJr served as an effective medium to support artistic expression, indicating the development of creativity and cognitive growth through interactive digital experiences. In conclusion, programming activities facilitated by ScratchJr offer a developmentally appropriate and engaging approach to enhancing computational thinking and creativity. The study recommends increased investment in digital infrastructure and professional development for educators to enable the broader implementation of programming in kindergarten for preparing young learners to thrive in an increasingly digital global world.

Keywords

Early childhood; Kindergarten; Programming; ScratchJr; Technology

Full Text:

PDF

References

An, M. Y., & Shin, K. S. (2024). Effects of teachers’ media utilization and computational thinking on sustainable development in early childhood education. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(13), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135773

Angeli, C., & Valanides, N. (2020). Developing young children’s computational thinking with educational robotics: An interaction effect between gender and scaffolding strategy. Computers in Human Behavior, 105(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.03.018

Bakala, E., Gerosa, A., Hourcade, J. P., & Tejera, G. (2021). Preschool children, robots, and computational thinking: A systematic review. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 29, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100337

Behnamnia, N., Kamsin, A., & Ismail, M. A. B. (2020). The landscape of research on the use of digital game-based learning apps to nurture creativity among young children: a review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100666

Bers, M. U. (2018). Coding and computational thinking in early childhood: the impact of scratchjr in europe. European Journal of STEM Education, 3(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/3868

Bers, M. U. (2021). Coding as a playground programming and computational thinking in the early childhood classroom (2nd ed.). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. www.routledge.com/k-12

Bers, M. U., Blake-West, J., Kapoor, M. G., Levinson, T., Relkin, E., Unahalekhaka, A., & Yang, Z. (2023). Coding as another language: research-based curriculum for early childhood computer science. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 64(1), 394–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.05.002

Clarke-midura, J., Lee, V. R., Shumway, J. F., Silvis, D., Kozlowski, J. S., & Peterson, R. (2023). Designing formative assessments of early childhood computational thinking. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65(1), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.05.013

Critten, V., Hagon, H., & Messer, D. (2022). Can pre-school children learn programming and coding through guided play activities? A case study in computational thinking. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(6), 969–981. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01236-8

del Olmo-Muñoz, J., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., & González-Calero, J. A. (2020). Computational thinking through unplugged activities in early years of primary education. Computers and Education, 150(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103832

Delacruz, S. (2020). Starting from scratchjr: integrating code literacy in the primary grades. Reading Teacher, 73(6), 805–812. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1909

Dittert, N., Thestrup, K., & Robinson, S. (2021). The SEEDS pedagogy: Designing a new pedagogy for preschools using a technology-based toolkit. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 27(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2020.100210

Govind, M., Relkin, E., & Bers, M. U. (2020). Engaging children and parents to code together using the scratchjr app. Visitor Studies, 23(1), 46–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2020.1732184

Israel-Fishelson, R., & Hershkovits, A. (2022). Studying interrelations of computational thinking and creativity : A scoping review (2011-2022). Computers and Education, 176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104353

Kyza, E. A., Georgiou, Y., Agesilaou, A., & Souropetsis, M. (2022). A cross-sectional study investigating primary school children’s coding practices and computational thinking using ScratchJr. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 60(1), 220–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331211027387

Lin, S. Y., Chien, S. Y., Hsiao, C. L., Hsia, C. H., & Chao, K. M. (2020). Enhancing computational thinking capability of preschool children by game-based smart toys. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 44(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2020.101011

Louka, K., & Papadakis, S. (2024). Enhancing computational thinking in early childhood education through scratchjr integration. Heliyon, 10(10), e30482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30482

Lukman. (2023). Rendahnya pemanfaatan media pembelajaran digital pada pembelajaran anak usia dini. Al-Athfal, 4(2), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.58410/al-athfal.v4i2.810

Masarwa, B., Hel-Or, H., & Levy, S. T. (2024). Kindergarten children’s learning of computational thinking with the “sorting like a computer” learning unit. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 38(2), 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2023.2221319

Metin, S. (2020). Activity based unplugged coding during the preschool period. Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(1), 149–165. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1007/s10798-020-09616-8

Miles, matthew B., Huberman, M., & Saldana, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis a methods sourcebook (4th ed.). Sage.

Misirli, A., & Komis, V. (2023). Computational thinking in early childhood education: The impact of programming a tangible robot on developing debugging knowledge. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65(January 2022), 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.05.014

Pellas, N. (2024). Enhancing computational thinking, spatial reasoning, and executive function skills: The impact of tangible programming tools in early childhood and across different learner stages. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 0(0), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331241292767

Piaget, J. (1959). The language and thought of the child (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Portelance, D. J., Strawhacker, A. L., & Bers, M. U. (2016). Constructing the scratchjr programming language in the early childhood classroom. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 26(1), 489–504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-015-9325-0

Rapti, S., & Sapounidis, T. (2024). “Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity in kindergarten with educational robotics”: A scoping review (2012–2023). Computers and Education, 210(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104968

Relkin, E., de Ruiter, L. E., & Bers, M. U. (2021). Learning to code and the acquisition of computational thinking by young children. Computers and Education, 169(1), 104222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104222

Saxena, A., Lo, C., Hew, K., & Wong, G. (2020). Designing unplugged and plugged activities to cultivate computational thinking: An exploratory study in early childhood education. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 29(1), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-019-00478-w

Setianingrum, I., & Hidayana, A. F. (2025). Pengaruh pemahaman guru paud terhadap pembelajaran coding anak usia dini. Jurnal Care (Children Advisory Research and Education), 13(1), 90–100. https://doi.org/10.25273/jcare.v13i1.22004

Singhal, V. (2022). Precoding skills-teaching computational thinking to preschoolers in singapore using unplugged activities. Proceedings of International Conference on Computational Thinking Education, 86–87. https://doi.org/10.34641/ctestem.2022.452

Strawhacker, A., Lee, M., Caine, C., & Bers, M. (2015). ScratchJr demo : a coding language for kindergarten. Demos, 1(1), 414–417. https://doi.org/10.1145/2771839.2771867

Sugiana, Prasetyo, T. R., Pradini, S., & Irzalinda, V. (2023). Pemahaman guru paud tentang pembelajaran coding untuk anak usia dini. Aulad: Journal on Early Childhood, 6(2), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.31004/aulad.v6i2.394

Tuli, N., & Mantri, A. (2020). Usability principles for augmented reality based kindergarten applications. Procedia Computer Science, 172(2019), 679–687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.05.089

Unahalekhaka, A., & Bers, M. U. (2021). Taking coding home: analysis of scratchjr usage in home and school settings. Educational Technology Research and Development, 1(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10011-w

Yalçın, V., & Erden, Ş. (2021). The effect of STEM activities prepared according to the design thinking model on preschool children’s creativity and problem-solving skills. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 41(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100864

Yang, W., Ng, D. T. K., & Gao, H. (2022). Robot programming versus block play in early childhood education: Effects on computational thinking, sequencing ability, and self-regulation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1817–1841. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13215

Yang, W., Ng, D. T. K., & Su, J. (2023). The impact of story-inspired programming on preschool children’s computational thinking: A multi-group experiment. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 47(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101218

Zurnacı, B., & Turan, Z. (2024). Educational robotics or unplugged coding activities in kindergartens?: Comparison of the effects on pre-school children’s computational thinking and executive function skills. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 53(1), 101576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101576

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/teknodika.v24i1.110986

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.