Center-Based Learning Through the Traditional Game Mpa’a Ncimi Lombo Tembe to Enhance Young Children’s Computational Thinking Skills

Abstract

Computational thinking in early childhood needs to be developed through concrete experiences, play, and contexts that are close to children’s lives. This study aimed to analyze the implementation of Center-Based Learning based on the traditional game Mpa’a Ncimi Lombo Tembe to improve computational thinking among children aged 4–6 years and examine changes in decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design. The quantitative phase used a quasi-experimental pretest-post test control group design involving 20 children, consisting of 10 children in the experimental group and 10 in the control group. Data was collected through performance tasks and observations of 16 computational thinking behaviors, while qualitative data came from observations, teacher interviews, and documentation. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gain-score comparison, and analysis of covariance, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with the quantitative findings. The results showed that the experimental group’s mean score increased from 36.70 to 54.30, whereas the control group increased from 31.70 to 42.80. The difference in improvement between groups was statistically significant, t(18) = 5.845, p < 0.001, with a very large effect size, Cohen’s d = 2.61. All four components and all 16 observed behaviors improved, with the largest increase occurring in abstraction. Learning implementation reached 95.00%. These findings indicate that this traditional game can support culturally situated unplugged learning for developing computational thinking through concrete, active, and meaningful experiences.