Relationship between computational thinking and a measure of intelligence as a general problem-solving ability

Computational thinking – the ability to solve problems using concepts from computer science – has been widely discussed in the computer science education field. However, the relationship of computational thinking to intelligence – seen as the general ability to understand and solve complex problems – is contestable and has not been extensively explored. The present study addressed the question of how computational thinking is related to intelligence. To find an answer to this question, 71 pre-service teacher students completed a survey with 20 Bebras tasks as a measure of computational thinking and a non-verbal intelligence test (TONI-3) to assess their general problem-solving ability. The large and significant correlation of r(70) = .53, p < .001, indicates that both concepts are highly related. Implications of the findings are discussed, including the meaning of the relationship between computational thinking and intelligence during teaching and assessment, and the possibility of more holistic measures of computational thinking that incorporate procedural aspects.