Effects of a Self-Regulated Cooperative Programming Approach on Elementary Students' Programming Knowledge, Metacognitive Awareness, and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Background: Programming is a vital digital skill that can equip students with the necessary competencies for future employment opportunities. However, due to inadequate metacognitive awareness, self-regulation abilities, and a lack of prior programming knowledge, elementary school students may struggle with completing complex programming tasks. Objectives: We aim to propose a self-regulated cooperative programming (SR-CoP) approach. While exploring the effectiveness of the approach in students' programming knowledge, metacognitive awareness, and self-efficacy. Methods: Participants were 113 fourth graders (54 males, 59 females). Their ages ranged from 10 to 11 years. They were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group using individual programming (C-IdP), experimental group 1 employing SR-CoP, and experimental group 2 employing conventional cooperative programming (C-CoP). Results: The SR-CoP approach significantly enhanced students' metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy compared to the other groups. Regarding programming knowledge, no statistically significant difference were found among the three groups, suggesting that SR-CoP supports non-cognitive outcomes without compromising domain knowledge acquisition. Conclusions: By employing self-regulation strategies, students engage in planning, self-monitoring, and self-reflection during project completion and cooperative programming activities. This practice is advantageous for enhancing elementary students' metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy.