Abstract:

The study examines how primary school computing teachers in the Czech Republic perceive and implement programming instruction using Scratch. The research is situated within the context of the 2021 reform of the Framework Educational Programme for Primary Education, which substantially strengthened the role of algorithmisation and programming whilst shifting the focus of computing education from user-oriented skills towards the development of computational thinking. Scratch, a visual block-based programming language developed at MIT, is among the most widely used introductory programming environments in Czech primary schools. Grounded in constructivist pedagogy, it eliminates syntactic barriers characteristic of text-based languages and allows pupils to concentrate on the logic and structure of algorithms.

The research was conducted as a quantitative questionnaire survey involving 372 computing teachers from both lower and upper primary schools in the Czech Republic. The questionnaire comprised 21 items organised into three thematic sections covering respondents' professional characteristics, specific aspects of Scratch-based instruction, and future directions for teaching. Data were collected between November 2024 and January 2025, analysed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses examined through thematic analysis.

The findings present an overwhelmingly positive picture of teachers' attitudes. Over 77% of respondents described their overall experience as positive, and more than 92% considered Scratch an appropriate tool for programming education at primary level. Teachers identified a broad range of competencies developed through Scratch instruction, with problem-solving ranked most frequently, followed by logical and algorithmic thinking and creativity. Respondents also noted the development of teamwork and independent learning, consistent with the constructivist philosophy underpinning Scratch.

The study simultaneously reveals a range of implementation challenges. The most frequently cited difficulty was maintaining pupil motivation, followed closely by managing classroom heterogeneity and varying levels of prior knowledge. A notable finding was the proportion of teachers identifying the instructional demands placed on themselves as a primary obstacle, reflecting insufficient preparation in both initial and continuing professional development. Additional barriers included technical difficulties and time-intensive lesson preparation. More than a quarter of respondents regarded available methodological resources as inadequate, expressing a need for differentiated tasks, detailed lesson plans, and instructional videos.

Regarding instructional organisation, respondents demonstrated a clear preference for individual pupil work, with collaborative and project-based approaches less frequently employed. The findings carry significant implications for educational policy and practice, confirming that Scratch is an effective and widely accepted tool for developing computational thinking, whilst indicating that successful implementation requires systematic teacher support, differentiated methodological materials, and deliberate strategies for sustaining pupil motivation.

Keywords:

Informatics, programming, scratch.