A case study of 7th grade students learning programming to solve mathematics problems

Unlike previous research that focused on transfer of cognitive skills gained in programming to problem solving, we contend that students can learn programming to directly solve mathematics problems. Our study begins a line of inquiry on whether computational thinking (CT) can be considered a distinct approach for mathematics problem solving in schools. This paper presents analysis of an episode that featured two students who conceptualized and coded an algorithmic solution to a textbook word problem. A comparison is made with the standard deductive approach. We generalize the differences in the two approaches in terms of knowledge types. The case is paradigmatic of a broader phenomenon in which CT makes a difference in how students approach problem solving in school mathematics. Copyright © 2021 Asia Pacific Society for Computers in Education.