“What Is Inside a Computer?”: Preconceptions About Computer Principles in 6-9-Graders

The new computing curriculum in Czechia for grades 6–9 focuses on, among others, the topic of computer principles, i.e., how computers work internally. There is a lack of teaching materials in Czechia that deal with this topic. When one wants to create teaching materials for children, these materials should be based on children’s preconceptions about the topic so that the materials appropriately target the theme with respect to children’s prior knowledge. However, existing literature has not examined children’s preconceptions about computer principles sufficiently. Hence, we conducted a mixed-methods study (N = 53, n6+7= 29, n8+9= 24) in diverse regions of Czechia with the aim of identifying the said preconceptions. Through 45-min-long semi-structured interviews, we investigated children’s understanding of how computers function. Using Atlas.ti, we conducted an inductive thematic analysis and identified around 260 preconceptions, some of which have never been described previously. Based on their occurrence, we performed a non-hierarchical cluster analysis with automatic cluster detection in IBM SPSS 28, identifying three participant groups based on their knowledge level: experts (who comprehend most abstract concepts, e.g., the cooperation between RAM and the processor or the very existence of different types of memory), moderate (who understand some abstract concepts), and naïve (who lack understanding of most abstract concepts; the computer is a magical black box for them). Currently, we are characterizing each group and cataloguing the identified preconceptions. Next, we’ll create educational materials that suit different knowledge levels, guiding children from preconceptions to normative understanding. Our study’s findings could be valuable not only in the Czech context, but also in the process of updating K-9 computing curricula elsewhere.

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