Exploring the Impact of Scaffolding in Programming on Students' Computational Thinking: Evidence From a Three-Level Meta-Analysis.

This article focuses on the effectiveness of scaffolding in programming activities for enhancing students' computational thinking (CT). Using a three-level meta-analysis of 30 empirical studies with 47 effect sizes, the study found that scaffolding has a large positive effect on CT development (Hedges's g = 0.71, p < 0.0001). Moderator analyses revealed that intervention duration and educational level significantly influence this effect, with stronger impacts observed in short-term interventions (≤1 week) and among younger learners, particularly at the kindergarten level. Other factors such as scaffolding type, scaffolding strategy, programming environment, and prior programming experience did not significantly moderate the effect, though their effect-size patterns provide useful insights. The findings support theoretical frameworks like cognitive load and self-determination theories and offer pedagogical implications for tailoring scaffolding to learner characteristics and instructional contexts in programming education.