Perceived benefits and challenges of LLMs in programming education: a student-centered analysis

Introduction The rise of large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, Codex, and Copilot, has transformed programming and education, providing powerful tools that enhance code generation, debugging, and conceptual understanding. Despite their potential benefits, concerns have emerged about their impact on students' learning behaviors, including over-reliance, trust issues, and engagement. Exploring how computer science students perceive and interact with LLMs is crucial for ensuring that these tools support, rather than hinder, independent learning and critical thinking. Without careful consideration, the widespread adoption of LLMs in programming education may lead to unintended consequences, including weakened problem-solving skills and reduced confidence in coding abilities. Considering this, the study explores students' perceptions of the role of LLMs in programming education, focusing on key factors such as perceived support, skepticism, engagement, dependence, and trust. Methods To achieve this objective, we surveyed 300 undergraduate students from public and private institutions in Mexico. Overall perceptions were reported, and variable-wise comparisons—including gender and institution type were conducted using t-tests. One-way ANOVA was used to assess differences between semesters and levels of programming experience. Results The results showed that, while students generally view LLMs as valuable tools, concerns persist about over-reliance, accuracy, and security. T-tests revealed no significant differences based on gender or institution type. ANOVA results indicated that programming experience, not academic semester, gender, or institute, was a key factor shaping perceptions. Students with 1-2 years of programming experience reported the highest levels of perceived support, engagement, and trust. Discussion These findings underscore the importance of tailoring LLM integration strategies to students' prior experience to maximize benefits and mitigate risks in programming education.