Unplugged Coding in Elementary Education: A Systematic Review of Its Impact on Cognitive, Social, and Motivational Skills
Keywords:
Computational Thinking, Elementary Education, Unplugged CodingAbstract
The increasing demand for computational thinking in elementary education highlights the need for instructional approaches that are effective, inclusive, and adaptable to diverse learning contexts, particularly in schools with limited technological resources. This study aims to systematically examine the effectiveness of unplugged coding for elementary school students. A Systematic Literature Review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Twelve studies published between 2019 and 2025 were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, including ten empirical studies involving a total of 676 elementary school students. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, comparative analysis, and meta-synthesis. The findings indicate that unplugged coding produces strong positive effects on computational thinking and problem-solving skills, with consistent improvements in generalization, decomposition, and algorithmic thinking. Additionally, unplugged coding enhances social collaboration, creativity, and learning motivation through hands-on and collaborative activities, while demonstrating high suitability for promoting educational equity in technology-limited settings. These results suggest that unplugged coding serves as a foundational and scalable pedagogical approach for inclusive computational education in elementary schools.
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