Self-efficacy in computational thinking: Preliminary analysis of pre-service teachers’ perception through a Portuguese tool

Computational thinking is a fundamental problem-solving skill and has been integrated into the curricula of several countries, including Portugal. The successful implementation of this integration depends on adequately training pre-service teachers to develop the pedagogical knowledge necessary to incorporate this skill into their practice. Analyzing pre-service teachers’ perception of self-efficacy in computational thinking is essential, as it influences the success of training programs. This study aimed to achieve three objectives: (1) translate and adapt the computational thinking self-efficacy scale into Portuguese (stage 1), (2) validate the scale (stage 2), and (3) compare pre-service teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy in computational thinking (stage 3). A sample of 43 participants was used in stage 1 and 382 participants in stage 2 and stage 3. The findings demonstrated that the scale had strong temporal stability, good item homogeneity, and alignment with its original structure. The Portuguese version exhibited adequate psychometric properties, making it a valid and reliable instrument for analyzing pre-service teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy in computational thinking. The absence of significant differences in self-efficacy perceptions in computational thinking between bachelor’s and master’s pre-service teachers suggests a shared underexposure to the concept, reflecting a broader lack of structured instruction to foster self-efficacy in this domain.