Examination of Undergraduate and Associate Degree Students’ Computer Programming Attitude and Self-Efficacy According To Thinking Style, Gender and Experience

Abstract

This study aimed to determine undergraduate and associate degree students’ computerprogramming attitude and self-efficacy levels, and compare them according to thinkingstyle, gender, department, weekly study time, and programming experience variables. Thestudy employed the correlational research model. The researcher attempted to reach allassociate and undergraduate students who had received the computer programmingcourse at a state university. The computer programming self-efficacy scale, the computerprogramming attitude scale, and the holistic and analytic thinking in problem-solving scalewere used to collect research data. Results suggested that the participants with differentthinking styles showed significant differences regarding programming attitude andprogramming self-efficacy. Programming attitude and thinking style were significantpredictors of programming self-efficacy. No difference was observed between genders interms of the common effect and the partial effect of programming attitude andprogramming self-efficacy. However; differences were observed between participants fromdifferent departments and with different weekly study time. There was also a significantdifference between the participants with different programming experience levels in termsof the common effect of programming attitude and self-efficacy, whereas no difference wasfound in terms of attitude alone.