The Effect of Learning to Program in Logo on Reasoning Skills of Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study was conducted to test the claim that Logo may enhance student problem solving and thinking skills. Of 171 junior high students who requested a Logo enrichment class, 113 were randomly assigned to Logo classes, fifty-eight remained controls. After nine weeks of daily instruction, the Logo treatment group scored significantly higher than the control group on the New Jersey Test of Reasoning Skills. However, a significant interaction between treatment and gender revealed no significant difference by treatment in the performance of female students. The study offers modest support for the efficacy of Logo in developing reasoning skills among seventh and eighth graders, but the benefit appears to accure mostly to males. Results do not differentiate the respective contributions of Logo and maturation.