The Impact of “Scratch” on Student Engagement and Academic Performance in Primary Schools

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Scratch programming environment on student engagement and academic performance in primary informatics education. The research was conducted over three academic years (2020–2023) in educational organizations (ADAN and Navoiy schools) involving 170 first and third-grade students. The Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) was used to assess cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, and academic performance was evaluated based on trimester grades in informatics. The results indicated significant improvement in both student engagement and academic performance post-implementation of Scratch. Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement scores showed a marked increase, from an average SEI score of 3.3 to 4.0 for first graders and 3.7 to 4.4 for third graders. Similarly, academic performance demonstrated a considerable enhancement, with average grades rising from 53.5 to 80.3 for first graders and 57.3 to 84.5 for third graders over four trimesters. Teachers’ observational data, complemented by qualitative focus group discussions, reinforced these findings.