Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum?

The introduction of computer programming in K-12 has become mainstream in the last years, as countries around the world are making coding part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical studies that investigate how learning to program at an early age affects other school subjects. In this regard, this paper compares three quasi-experimental research designs conducted in three different schools (n=129 students from 2 and 6 grade), in order to assess the impact of introducing programming with Scratch at different stages and in several subjects. While both 6 grade experimental groups working with coding activities showed a statistically significant improvement in terms of academic performance, this was not the case in the 2 grade classroom. Notable disparity was also found regarding the subject in which the programming activities were included, as in social studies the effect size was double that in mathematics.