Pair programming serves as a valuable tool in programming education, particularly for engaging young female learners. A study involving 139 students aged 8 to 14 revealed differences in attitudes and behaviors among all-female and all-male pairs. While both groups showed a positive perception of the course, all-male pairs were more adventurous, exploring SCRATCH beyond merely following instructions. Interestingly, minor differences in code quality emerged, indicating that pair programming helps bridge gender disparities. However, creative freedom often led pairs to revert to traditional gender behaviors, demonstrating the impact of societal influences on learning dynamics.
Pair programming effectively engages young learners in programming education, highlighting gender-specific differences in engagement and approach among all-female and all-male pairs.
While there are overall positive attitudes towards programming, all-female pairs tend to follow instructions closely, while all-male pairs explore SCRATCH more adventurously.
The study showed that despite minor differences in code quality between pairs, pair programming helps narrow the gap in programming capabilities across genders.
When given creative freedom, programming pairs revert to gender-stereotypical preferences, indicating social influences on learning and engagement in programming.
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