Abstract:

There’s no more doubt that computers and technology have become part of modern human environment. It is hard to find profession in modern society that doesn’t rely on informatics. Despite that schools do not follow these changes properly. Digital literacy and informatics (computer science is commonly used in the USA) should be essential components of a modern education with goal to raise the children of today to be able to live in this modern, digital world. Through informatics course in elementary school, students should develop digital literacy skill, and through high school students should master basic science concepts of informatics in addition to digital fluency skills. In the Republic of Croatia Informatics is elective course in the elementary school offered from 5th to 8th grade therefore students should be motivated to enroll in such course. Informatics curricula is composed of nine teaching units presented to students through 4 years in elementary school. That means that 8th grade students are exposed to all units. This study explores students’ perception towards nine teaching units of Informatics curricula. Survey was conducted among 1462 8th grade elementary students from three regions in the Croatia, during last two weeks of schooling. In this paper the results of research will be presented.

Keywords:

Curriculum, informatics, computer science, elementary school, survey.