Exploring Group Work Strategies to Teach Computer Programming: A Case Study of First-Year and Extended Programme Students at One South African University

Many rural schools in the Eastern Cape (EC) face challenges in improving their standards. Almost 97% of first-year IT Diploma students at a selected University come from these rural EC schools. Teaching programming to these first-year and extended program students is difficult, leading to high dropout rates and students switching to other IT specializations. The course is considered difficult for them to grasp, causing anxiety and frustration. Computer programming learning requires high-level critical and logical thinking skills, which poses an even greater challenge. Many students lack basic computer skills and struggle with English, the medium of instruction, adding to their difficulties. These challenges, along with others, hinder the students’ performance in the programming course. The researcher aims to explore how group work strategies could improve student performance. Students’ confidence, effort, and communication abilities play a significant role in their success in these classes. This study seeks group work strategies to help first-year and extended program students understand computer programming. It collected data from 88 students (48 first-year and 40 extended program students) using questionnaires, employing mixed methods. The findings suggest that group work could help students from disadvantaged backgrounds better grasp computer programming. This mixed method was supported by the social constructivism theoretical framework.