Tables and the Development of Computational Thinking in Programming with Emil for Primary School

Tables are fundamental tools for handling data and play a crucial role in developing both computational thinking (CT) and mathematical thinking (MT). Despite this, they receive limited attention in research and design. This study investigates pupils’ attitudes toward and approaches to working with tables in informatics education, focusing on the systematic development of CT. Specifically, we examine how primary school pupils (aged 8–10) think and act when engaging with two-dimensional frequency tables integrated into Programming with Emil. Our objective is to deepen the understanding of pupils’ cognitive processes when entering data into tables and interpreting their contents. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative inductive coding. Identified codes were then iteratively consolidated into broader categories and final themes. Key findings include: (a) the opportunity to solve a problem by programming a character is highly motivating for pupils, and (b) the appropriate integration of different contexts and concepts, such as tables, into an engaging programming environment has the potential to foster advanced cognitive skills beyond CT.