Analysis of students’ computational thinking in solving numerical methods problem using microsoft excel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/th.v11i1.16953Abstract
Computational thinking is an essential skill in the digital age, particularly in Numerical Methods courses that require logical, algorithmic, and technology-based problem solving. However, students often find it difficult to acquire algorithmic thinking and abstraction while using computational tools to apply numerical techniques. This study aims to assess the computational thinking abilities of Universitas Banten Jaya students by examining their algorithmic and abstraction indicators during Numerical Methods exercises in Microsoft Excel. This study, which employed a descriptive quantitative–qualitative methodology, involved 62 students who were enrolled in the Numerical Methods course during the Odd Semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. Data for the midterm exam was collected via students' responses to computational essays that involved the development of algorithms, their application in Microsoft Excel, and the analysis of their results. Qualitative data was evaluated using content analysis, and quantitative data was evaluated using descriptive statistics. The results showed a medium level of computational thinking skill with an average score of 66.29. The achievement scores for the algorithmic and abstraction measures are 67.34% and 67.74%, respectively. These findings suggest that more structured and digitally integrated training is needed to improve students' computational thinking skills.
Keywords:
Computational thinking; Numerical methods; Algorithmic thinking; Abstraction; Microsoft ExcelDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Resty Yuliana, Melinda Yanuar, Nur Hidayanti, Huswatun Hasanah
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