Implementation of a cognitive apprenticeship model on student programming and perception of problem-solving ability: an exploratory study
Sonja A. Irlbeck, Valri Y. Bieniek · 2008
The perceptions of the use of Problem-Solving Skills and programming expertise among students in a suburban middle school were explored. Participants completed an online survey to report on their experiences after completing a computer programming project based on a pilot cognitive apprenticeship model. The results indicated that the use of the pilot cognitive apprenticeship-based model was perceived by students to have been beneficial to their programming performance and their problem-solving processes. Areas that were revealed through student comments to have had an influence on student perceptions included prior experience, use of multiple resources, and the breadth of their technical skill background. These areas were consistent with the instructional design components of the pilot problem-solving model, RESOLVE. The areas noted also focused on learning strategies that embedded sociohistorical influences within the learning process. The results indicated the need for continued research to explore the development of broad-based problem-solving models based on cognitive apprenticeship principles that can be tailored to specific curriculum content. The design of such models is critical to educational endeavors to encourage problem-solving transfer across content areas.