Block and Text Programming: What do Students know on Their First and Last Day of Upper-Secondary School?

This full research paper investigates upper-secondary students programming skills. In 2021, an initial survey assessed the programming skills of first-year upper-secondary school students, focusing on their ability to solve problems using block and text-based programming languages. The survey revealed significant differences between students with mandatory programming education (Group TECH) and those without (Group SCI), with Group TECH outperforming Group SCI across all categories. The follow-up survey in 2024 evaluated the same cohort to measure longitudinal changes in their programming knowledge and skills. The results showed marked improvements in Group TECH's performance, particularly in more complex programming tasks involving loops and embedded conditional statements, while Group SCI also showed progress, albeit to a lesser extent. The study found that students who engaged more frequently in programming activities outside of school demonstrated higher average scores. Overall, students in the study entered upper-secondary mostly prepared for programming topics mostly related to math like variables and conditionals in block programming languages. Students that left upper-secondary, after introductory programming, were better prepared to understand loops and complex problems in text.