Exploring the Impact of CodeCombat Python Programming Curriculum on Student Motivation at Primary School

The motivation of students is one of the many difficulties in teaching programming. Students find programming to be a challenging topic for a variety of causes. Students' interest and engagement in programming instruction have increased due to gamification and drive to study. However, gamification has several technological, implementation, and results restrictions. The coding curriculum in Macao's primary schools is becoming increasingly common at a time when proficiency with technology is required. It is difficult, though, to help young students develop programming abilities, significantly when learning is hampered by poor desire. CodeCombat, a serious game, has recently experienced an increase in its use in several areas. The use of gamification components allows students to learn programming through challenges based on games. This study employed a quasi-experimental approach to investigate how CodeCombat influenced students' motivation to code. Forty-nine grade one students who got two weeks of instruction contributed to the participants. The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) and Course Interest Survey (CIS), which measure the ARCS motivation model's four dimensions, were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the CodeCombat intervention. While CIS focuses on the motivating impact of course interest, the IMMS assesses the instructional materials' motivational influence. The findings revealed that after completing the CodeCombat course, learning motivation was significantly increased across all ARCS dimensions. Additionally, the study showed a significant correlation between these dimensions within and between surveys, suggesting the usefulness of these platforms in enhancing and motivating primary school programming curricula.