Examining the Role of Parents in Promoting Computational Thinking in Children: A Case Study on one Homeschool Family (Fundamental)

Computational Thinking (CT) is an often overlooked, but important, aspect of engineering thinking. This connection can be seen in Wing’s definition of CT, which includes a combination of mathematical and engineering thinking required to solve problems. While previous studies have shown that children are capable of engaging in multiple CT competencies, research has yet to explore the role that parents play in promoting these competencies in their children. In this study, we are taking a unique approach by investigating the role that a homeschool mother played in her child’s engagement in CT. This qualitative case study of a homeschool family is comprised of a mother and her six-year-old daughter. They engaged in two STEM+C activities designed by our research team. The parent first utilized the integrated STEM+C+literacy curriculum at home, and then visited a local science center. During their visit, both the parent and child interacted with an exhibit designed to promote engineering and computational thinking among children. Their engagement in both activities was video- and audio-recorded. Interviews regarding their experience were also conducted at the end of each activity (curriculum and exhibit participation). In this study, we employed a video analysis approach to examine child-parent interactions and utilized a thematic analysis approach to analyze the interviews. Our findings suggest that homeschool parents are integral to supporting children’s understanding of CT.