Teaching Programming through Scratch Aimed at the Development of Computational Thinking in Basic Secondary Education

training in computational thinking (cT) among new generations is gaining great importance in the educational field, since it strengthens the development of skills aimed at the solution of problems that arise daily in different scenarios, based on concepts of computation, in the shortest possible time and with efficient results that result in making a difference. This article is the result of quantitative research and demonstrates that implementation of an educational strategy mediated by the Scratch technological tool and the teaching of basic programming concepts enables strengthening of cT in seventh grade students of an educational institution in the municipality of Cabrera, Cundinamarca, Colombia. Based on the results it was possible to determine both the improvement in the students' cT level and the marked difference between the results of the experimental group versus the control group. Likewise, it was possible to affirm that teaching programming and the implementation of this type of proposals in educational processes offer students elements that open their minds to problem solving, through creativity and logic, which enhances their learning and transforms their role within the process. Finally, it proves that it is essential to promote training processes from the first levels of education, aimed at strengthening this type of skills, through pedagogical strategies that link the use of technological tools.