An embodied sense of programming: an anti-ableist framework for the analysis of learners’ developing senses of programming

This paper proposes the Critical Embodied Sense framework, which challenges traditional, ableist assumptions in programming education that privilege abstract, decontextualized learning experiences over embodied engagement. The framework is designed to enable researchers to analyse learners’ developing senses of programming concepts through an anti-ableist lens. It draws upon Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, contemporary research from the embodied cognition field and perspectives from critical theory. We illustrate the application of the framework using a study which investigated the developing senses of visually impaired learners working with a tangible programming language. Through the application of the framework to this study we demonstrate the integral role that tools, emotions and affect play in shaping learners’ senses of programming concepts. We finish by discussing potential wider applications of the framework which include researching the development of a sense of self as a programmer in under-represented groups and guiding the design of inclusive computing learning environments.