Applying hybrid programming in high schools: An empirical study analysing teachers' opinions

Abstract

The transition from visual programming to textual programming reveals a considerable increase in the overall complexity of programming, including a number of challenging issues. To support this transition and alleviate some of these challenges, so-called hybrid programming may be applied. This programming usually refers to the use of a single programming language in block- and text-based modalities within one computing environment. Research shows that the application of hybrid programming for a certain age group may positively contribute to the development of students' programming knowledge and skills as they proceed towards the exclusive use of text-based programming. However, teachers of programming may not be willing to do this, because of limited teaching hours, a demanding syllabus, lack of resources or for other reasons. By using a sample of 38 high school teachers of programming, this study examined teachers' opinions about applying hybrid programming in their teaching and analysed their preference for hybrid programming usage in terms of a number of background variables, such as type of school, teacher's experience and programming language used. The examination of these teachers' opinions revealed that although visual programming may be used as a scaffolding support for textual programming, the opponents of hybrid programming usage did not (realize and) acknowledge this aspect of visual programming. On the other hand, the proponents of hybrid programming usage did mention several affordances related to this aspect, but they had rarely examined them in terms of the particular challenges of the transition in question. The analysis showed that hybrid programming usage was influenced by hybrid programming experience, the text-based programming languages applied and the country region. Suggestions for practice and research are included.