Difficulties of Learning Programming in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Recent Research
TL;DR
The factors found to affect students’ programming learning were lack of knowledge about programming concepts and constructs, misconceptions related to syntax and semantics, programming skills, problem-solving skills, and the inability to create a mental model of the computer.
Abstract
The difficulty of learning computer programming has been widely discussed by researchers. Many factors contribute to the challenges faced in teaching and learning programming. This systematic review aims to identify these difficulties in higher education introductory programming courses and explore instructional solutions. We reviewed studies from multiple online databases, initially identifying 648 studies, of which 92 focused on programming difficulties. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 articles were selected for analysis. The factors found to affect students’ programming learning were lack of knowledge about programming concepts and constructs, misconceptions related to syntax and semantics, programming skills, problem-solving skills, and the inability to create a mental model of the computer. When the suggested instructional solutions for the concepts and processes that students have the most difficulty with were examined, suggestions emerged to improve their programming skills, solution designs, and the coding process. Unlike many studies that focus only on specific challenges, this review provides a comprehensive analysis, offering strategies for both students and instructors to overcome programming difficulties.