Project-first approach to programming in K–12: Tracking the development of novice programmers in technology-deprived environments

Several instructional approaches have been advanced for learning programming. However, effective ways of engaging beginners in programming in K–12 are still unclear, especially among low socioeconomic status learners in technology-deprived learning environments. Understanding the learning path of novice programmers will bridge this gap and explain what constitutes an effective learning path for novice. Thirty-eight students from technology-deprived schools participated in a 10-h project-first constructionist learning. Using the Friedman test of repeated measures and Spearman’s rank correlation, trends in the students’ programming ability were evaluated. The findings showed that the students’ programming ability increased on the first day, remained stable throughout the intervention, and were not affected by either semantics or syntax of the Python programming language. However, the features of a program were inconclusive determinants of programming skills. The irregular patterns of programming concepts within and between the learners’ programming solutions suggest focusing on pedagogies that encourage project-first learning. A constructionist model of learning and the challenges educators may encounter amongst novice learners with low socioeconomic status are highlighted.