Constructivist learning for advancing programming abilities in female high school students

This study explores STEM education strategies to enhance female high school students’ programming skills while reducing cognitive load. Using a constructivist approach, we employed block-based coding and electronic robot kits to create a visual, interactive environment that fosters confidence. The model integrated situational language teaching, scaffolding, gamified role-playing, group discussion, and creative sharing to strengthen programming and problem-solving abilities. A quasi-experimental design compared constructivist and traditional teaching groups. Results revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in motivation, confidence, attitude, and software achievement, with all Cohen’s d values exceeding 0.8. These findings confirm the effectiveness of constructivist methods and highlight the benefits of integrating gamification in learning environments.