The Importance of Algorithmic Thinking Development in Primary Education

Advances in computer technology have expanded our capacity to solve problems on a scale never imagined, using strategies previously unavailable to us. Today’s "digital natives" have grown up in a world where technology is rapidly evolving, creating new fields of study, new types of jobs, and requiring new skill sets. Algorithmic and computational thinking are foundations for solving different problems from all domains and are not always closely related to computers and programming. They are currently primarily used in teaching computer science and STEM subjects but can be applied to all subjects and in all life situations. The paper presents the need to develop computational thinking in various subjects of primary education, with particular emphasis on combining digital ("plugged") and non-digital ("unplugged") activities, as well as on the development of algorithmic thinking. Four methodological scenarios with activities for the development of algorithmic thinking in primary education are presented.