A Meta-Analysis of Pair Programming on Cognitive and Affective Outcomes for K-12 Students

• In Event: Innovative Strategies for Teaching Computational Thinking and Computer Science: From Robotics to Integrated Learning Models

Abstract

Despite the growing interest in pair programming in K-12 settings, its impact on cognitive and affective outcomes and the factors influencing these outcomes remain unclear. This meta-analysis evaluates the effects of pair programming on K-12 students’ cognitive and affective outcomes. For cognitive outcomes, we analyzed 10 primary studies with 18 independent samples, revealing a moderate effect size (g = 0.28, p = .013). For affective outcomes, the analysis included 7 primary studies with 8 independent samples, showing no significant effect (g = 0.13, p = .10). Moderator analyses (i.e., school levels, pair formation, and programming tasks) on cognitive and affective outcomes further offer insights into optimizing the effectiveness of pair programming in K-12 educational contexts.

Authors

• Hunhui Na, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Secil Caskurlu, Florida State University

• Bung Woo Jun, Florida State University

• Hui Shi, Florida State University