This study investigates the effects of student use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on their computer programming achievement. Ninety-six students from undergraduate teacher training programmes offered by a Hong Kong university voluntarily participated in the study. Sixty-six of them were first-year students enrolling on an introductory Java programming course, while 30 were second-year students enrolling on an advanced Java programming course. The SRL strategies adopted by participants were measured by the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and were exemplified from the reflective writing of their electronic portfolios. Their achievement in computer programming was evaluated using continuous and end of course assessments. The findings of this study suggest that higher-order cognitive strategies (i.e. elaboration, organization, critical thinking), metacognitive control strategies (i.e. self-regulation) and resource management strategies (i.e. time and study environment management, help seeking) are likely to facilitate a prolonged achievement of computer programming for both novices and non-novices. They can provide insights into designing adequate SRL strategy training to support student learning in computer programming. Copyright © 2021 SCHOLINK INC.

This paper aims to report and discuss the findings of a research project examining the effects of students‘ use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies on their computer programming achievement in higher education. In the project, data were collected from 66 undergraduate students who enrolled in a 13-week introductory computer programming course offered by a Hong Kong university during the academic year 2018/19. Participants were asked to complete the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) to measure their use of SRL strategies. They were also asked to write weekly reflective journals to reflect on their learning progress and plan their future actions for improvement. Their programming achievement was assessed by individual exercises and an end-of-course examination as part of the course assessment. The project adopted a mixed method approach to data analysis. A quantitative correlational analysis on the questionnaire and assessment scores was conducted to explore the relationship between SRL strategies and programming achievement. In addition, a qualitative content analysis on the reflective journals was carried out to identify differences in programming problems and SRL strategies used to tackle the problems between high- and low-achieving students. The findings of the project indicate that higher-order cognitive strategies, metacognitive control strategies and collaborative learning strategies were positively associated with programming achievement. The findings also suggest that reflective journaling can be a good way for students to reflect on their programming performance and think about strategies for improvement. Copyright © 2019 ICEDU.

This study was designed to explore how secondary students perceive the use of flipped classroom for learning computer programming. Specifically, it aimed to investigate the effects of flipped classroom on students’ learning and acquisition of programming knowledge and skills. Flipped classroom is known as a blended learning approach in which learning materials are delivered online, out of class for self-study in advance of classes, while homework assignments are transformed into class activities. This approach leverages technology and digital resources to support students in independent and online learning. It also enables teachers to minimize direct instruction and maximize student involvement in both teacher-student and student-student interactions. In this study, forty students from two Information and Communications Technology (ICT) classes (18 students in Secondary 4 and 22 in Secondary 5) in a Hong Kong secondary school were involved. Flipped classroom was adopted to teach students about computer programming topics (conditional, repetition and array) in both classes. Data were collected from a questionnaire and two interview sessions to explore students’ views on using flipped classroom to learn computer programming. The findings of this study indicate that students in the flipped classroom, regardless of their performance level, experienced stronger grasp of programming knowledge and higher engagement in learning programming concepts. Our findings also highlight limitations with this study that could be addressed in future work. Copyright © 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.