How Does Computational Thinking Affect Mathematical Complex Problem-solving?

Abstract

Vocational High School graduates represent the highest proportion of unemployment in Indonesia. One key factor is the mismatch between graduates’ competencies and industry demands, particularly in complex problem-solving skills. Computational thinking has great potential to enhance such abilities; however, limited studies have examined its direct effect on mathematical complex problem-solving in vocational education. This study aimed to determine the significance and magnitude of the effect of computational thinking on students’ mathematical complex problem-solving abilities and to explore how students with different levels of computational thinking approach complex mathematical problems. A mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design was applied, involving 99 informatics engineering students in the quantitative phase and 15 purposively selected students in the qualitative phase. Simple linear regression revealed a positive and significant effect of computational thinking on complex problem-solving, accounting for 69.2% of the variance. Qualitative findings showed that students with higher computational thinking demonstrated systematic and logical reasoning through structured problem-solving processes, whereas those with lower levels relied on trial and error. The findings underscore the importance of explicitly integrating computational thinking into vocational curricula to enhance students’ complex problem-solving abilities and prepare them for industrial demands.