What is it about?

Experience in teaching up to university level in computer programming has proven to be a challenge due to the fact that many students did not have a proper exposure to programming during high school. There are teaching and learning theories that describes how teachers teach and students receive, process, and retain knowledge during learning. In literature, there is no theory that have been developed for programming adoption. Thus, the study developed theory of programming adoption. In testing the theory of programming adoption, descriptive and explanatory design was used to help test the model whether it fit the theory or not. The study covered programming students where these students were contacted through Google Forms to answer a questionnaire. Quota sampling technique was used because the study wanted to get as many programming students across the world. A total of 237 programming students took part in the survey. SPSS, AMOS and PROCESS macro were used to analyze the study and test the theory. The Theory of Programming Adoption shows that tutorials, project work and accessibility of resources on the internet have a strong significant effect on students’ perception with 139.59%, 27.52% and 98.79% respectively. The highest mediating effect was a mediating effect of students’ perception in the relationship between project work and programming adoption with a positive coefficient value of .6472, representing 64.72%. As such, the adoption of computer programming will be higher. The researchers recommend that the TPA should be used to enhance the theoretical knowledge of future studies.

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Why is it important?

The approach of combining programming tutorials with project work is important because it provides a comprehensive learning experience. Tutorials offer a structured and guided environment where students can build foundational skills and confidence through hands-on practice. Enhancing existing projects fosters critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to apply learned concepts in practical scenarios. Finally, developing a fresh project from scratch promotes independence, innovation, and problem-solving abilities. This method ensures that students not only understand programming concepts but also can apply them effectively, preparing them for real-world challenges and careers in technology.

Perspectives

Programming tutorials involve guiding students through the development of a project step by step, ensuring they understand each aspect of the process. This method allows students to follow along with the instructor, mirroring each action, and gaining hands-on experience with coding, debugging, and problem-solving in a controlled environment. By breaking down complex projects into manageable steps, students build confidence and comprehension as they progress from basic to more advanced concepts. Project work, on the other hand, involves providing students with a completed project, which they are then tasked to enhance. This could involve optimizing the code, adding new features, or improving the user interface. This phase encourages students to apply what they've learned during the tutorials in a practical, real-world context. It also fosters critical thinking and creativity as they identify areas for improvement and implement their solutions. After improving an existing project, students are given the opportunity to choose a fresh project of their own to develop from scratch. This final phase empowers students to take full ownership of a project, from conceptualization through to completion. It encourages independence, innovation, and the application of their cumulative knowledge and skills, preparing them for real-world programming challenges.

Mr. Isaac Atta Senior Ampofo
University of Liverpool

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This page is a summary of: Theory of Programming Adoption, January 2024, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62269-4_39.
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