Teaching algorithms to develop the algorithmic thinking of informatics students

Modernization and the ever-increasing trend of introducing modern technologies into various areas of everyday life require school graduates with programming skills. The ability to program is closely related to computational thinking, which is based on algorithmic thinking. It is well known that algorithmic thinking is the ability of students to work with algorithms understood as a systematic description of problem-solving strategies. Algorithms can be considered as a fundamental phenomenon that forms a point of contact between mathematics and informatics. As part of an algorithmic graph theory seminar, we conducted an experiment where we solved the knight's tour problem using the backtracking method to observe the change in students' motivation to learn algorithms at a higher cognitive level. Seventy-four students participated in the experiment. Statistical analysis of the results of the experiment confirmed that the use of the algorithm with decision-making in teaching motivated students to learn algorithms with understanding.Slovenská Akadémia Vied, SAV; Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky: KEGA 015UKF-4/2021; Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, APVV: APVV-14-0446; Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA: 1/0216/21Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-14-0446]; Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic [KEGA 015UKF-4/2021]; Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic; Slovak Academy of Sciences [VEGA 1/0216/21]; VEGA [1/0216/21