Experiences of learning and teaching: Problem Solving in computer programming
Irene Govender · African Journal of Research in Mathematics Science and Technology Education · 2007
Problem solving within the context of learning to program has been a concern for educators for a long time. The study explored a number of questions related to this issue. Firstly, the possible link between mathematics and programming was investigated, and it was found that problem solving in programming does not correlate with students' Mathematics marks. Secondly, 40 grade 10 learners, 35 grade 12 learners and 20 pre-service teachers completed questionnaires and students were interviewed, in order to determine what they perceive as the main factors in learning to program and how they experience the process of solving a programming problem. While a majority of the students stated that they had more than one method to solve a problem and did not consider the problems they had encountered in class difficult, they struggled to complete a specific programming task. Finally, classes were observed in order to determine the extent to which instruction in computer programming support the development of programming competencies. The observations indicate that it is likely that students' struggle with the practice of programming is linked to the teaching of computer programming they have experienced, which tended to focus on language and tools rather than solving problems requiring designing a program.