Computational Thinking and the Development of Civic Reasoning in Civic Education: Integration of STEM Approach and Logical Reasoning
Yayuk Hidayah1*, Nathasa Pramudita Irianti 2, Rr. Yudiswara Ayu Permatasari3

1 Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2 Sekolah Tinggi Pertanahan Nasional, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
3 Institut Seni Indonesia,Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

The development of civic reasoning is a fundamental objective of citizenship education in higher education, particularly in preparing students to critically analyze social issues, evaluate public information, and make rational civic decisions. However, citizenship education practices in universities often emphasize normative knowledge rather than strengthening students^ analytical and logical reasoning skills. Integrating computational thinking within a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning framework offers a promising approach to foster systematic thinking, problem-solving skills, and evidence-based reasoning in civic learning contexts. This study aims to examine the influence of computational thinking integrated with a STEM approach on the development of students^ civic reasoning in citizenship education.This research employed a quantitative approach involving 120 undergraduate students from three higher education institutions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta, and Sekolah Tinggi Pertanahan Nasional. Data were collected using a civic reasoning test instrument measuring three indicators: analysis of civic issues, evidence-based argumentation, and civic decision-making. Instrument validity was assessed through expert judgment and construct validity testing, while reliability was measured using Cronbach^s Alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.The findings indicate that the integration of computational thinking within STEM-oriented citizenship education significantly improves students^ civic reasoning skills (p < 0.05). These results suggest that computational thinking practices-such as problem decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic reasoning-can strengthen students^ ability to analyze civic problems and construct logical civic arguments.

Keywords: computational thinking- civic reasoning- STEM education- citizenship education- higher education.

Topic: STEM Education