Factors Contributing to the Difficulties in Teaching and Learning of Computer Programming: A Literature Review

This paper reviews the literature relating to the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning of computer programming. Programming has been a difficult subject to learn and master even at the early stage of education. It has been a global problem and continues to worsen at the local leve...

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Published in:Contemporary educational technology Vol. 12; no. 2; p. ep272
Main Author: Cheah, Chin Soon
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Eskisehir Ali Simsek 2020
Contemporary Educational Technology
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ISSN:1309-517X, 1309-517X
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Abstract This paper reviews the literature relating to the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning of computer programming. Programming has been a difficult subject to learn and master even at the early stage of education. It has been a global problem and continues to worsen at the local level. Although, there are many education tools available to complement the teaching and learning of computer programming. The problem persists until present day. Even at the initial stage of computer introduction courses, there were high failure rates and high drop out. One of the rationalism behind this scenario is from the students’ lack of problem solving abilities. However, the problem does not only lie within the students’ level of efficacy. It involves the effective use of teaching and learning material as well. Therefore, the focus of this review is on the factors concerning the students learning method and the effectiveness of the teaching material. Based on plethora of literature review, it is vital that these two aspects need to be consider simultaneously to overcome the difficulties of learning computer programming. A much more comprehensive, effective and universal teaching and learning tools need to be design to address the severity of this problem.
AbstractList This paper reviews the literature relating to the factors that contribute to the difficulties in learning of computer programming. Programming has been a difficult subject to learn and master even at the early stage of education. It has been a global problem and continues to worsen at the local level. Although, there are many education tools available to complement the teaching and learning of computer programming. The problem persists until present day. Even at the initial stage of computer introduction courses, there were high failure rates and high drop out. One of the rationalism behind this scenario is from the students’ lack of problem solving abilities. However, the problem does not only lie within the students’ level of efficacy. It involves the effective use of teaching and learning material as well. Therefore, the focus of this review is on the factors concerning the students learning method and the effectiveness of the teaching material. Based on plethora of literature review, it is vital that these two aspects need to be consider simultaneously to overcome the difficulties of learning computer programming. A much more comprehensive, effective and universal teaching and learning tools need to be design to address the severity of this problem.
Audience Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Author Cheah, Chin Soon
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SubjectTerms Computer programming
Computer Science Education
Computers
Difficulty Level
Educational Research
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Instructional Effectiveness
Instructional Materials
Literature reviews
Negative Attitudes
Personality Traits
Prior Learning
Problem Solving
Programming
Student Motivation
Thinking Skills
Transfer of Training
Title Factors Contributing to the Difficulties in Teaching and Learning of Computer Programming: A Literature Review
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