INTEGRATION OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING IN MATHEMATICS LEARNING TO IMPROVE STUDENTS' MATHEMATICAL REASONING SKILLS

Although computational thinking has been increasingly integrated into mathematics education, empirical evidence of its contribution to students’ mathematical reasoning remains limited, particularly at the junior secondary level. This study examined the effect of integrating computational thinking into mathematics learning on eighth-grade students’ mathematical reasoning ability. A quasi-experimental method with a non-equivalent control group design was employed, involving 64 students at SMP N 4 Jakarta, divided equally into experimental and control classes. Data were collected through mathematical reasoning tests, student questionnaires, and classroom observations. Analyses included descriptive statistics, instrument quality tests, assumption tests, t-tests, N-Gain, effect size, and ANCOVA. The experimental class achieved a higher posttest mean score (82.28) than the control class (68.56). Their respective N-Gain scores were 0.645 and 0.373. The difference was statistically significant (p < .001), with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.073). ANCOVA also confirmed a significant effect after controlling for initial ability. These findings suggest that computational thinking is an effective pedagogical approach for strengthening mathematical reasoning among junior secondary students.