Embedding Cognitive Apprenticeship With Role-Switched Pair Programming: Toward Mastery Learning in Computational Thinking and Co-Regulation.

This study investigates the effects of embedding the three core phases of cognitive apprenticeship—modeling, scaffolding, and reflection—combined with structured role switching in pair programming (PP) on fifth- and sixth-grade students’ computational thinking (CT) and co-regulation in an after-school block-based coding environment. Using a quasi-experimental design with 85 novice learners, the research found that the integrated instructional approach significantly enhanced students’ CT and co-regulation compared to collaboration or modeling alone, with role switching particularly effective in improving co-regulation and mitigating cognitive overload. The study highlights that brief instructional videos support knowledge delivery, scaffolding deepens CT development, and role switching fosters collaborative engagement and persistence, offering a scalable framework for mastery learning in elementary programming education. Limitations include the modest sample size and single-region setting, suggesting the need for further research on diverse populations, long-term effects, and instructional sequencing.