More Than Structured Programming in Primary School Syllabus

Computer programming was introduced to primary schools by many countries with the aim of advancing logic and algorithmic thinking of students. The bulk of a typical syllabus (e.g., in the case of Greece) for computer programming courses at 5th and 6th grade primary school, consists of teaching structured programming concepts. While the comprehension of basic program flow concepts such as branch instructions and loops is of paramount importance, overextending the teaching of the basics may lead to students losing their interest due to lack of challenge. On the other hand, in a mixed classroom environment there exist both students with substantial skills in modern computer technology and others with smaller such experience, e.g., due to societal and economic factors. To avoid discouraging both the talented pupils by re-visiting the same topics and the less experienced ones by not providing an alternative way of learning, we investigate instructing advanced computer programming concepts in a playful way using pair programming. Results reveal that teaching advanced programming concepts using pair programming can improve the overall programming skills of mixed classroom students.