Enhancing Learning Performance in Primary School Students Through Real‐Time Versus Delayed Rewards During Pair Inquiry‐Based Visual Programming

ABSTRACT Background Visual programming has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity recently. Real‐time and delayed rewards are two important incentive mechanisms in designing effective learning activities. However, the examination of their effects on students' learning performance remains limited. Additionally, the comparative analysis of these reward mechanisms in the context of learning visual programming has received insufficient attention. Objectives We aimed to address this research gap. Methods A quasi‐experimental study was conducted involving two classes. One class ( n = 32) received real‐time rewards, while the other class ( n = 40) received delayed rewards. The study employed independent samples t ‐tests to assess the effects of real‐time versus delayed rewards on students' learning performance and to identify differences between the groups. Additionally, semi‐structured interviews were conducted to gain insights into the underlying reasons behind the findings. Results The results showed that students in the real‐time reward group generally outperformed their counterparts in terms of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, flow experience and algorithmic thinking. However, only the differences in extrinsic motivation and algorithmic thinking were statistically significant. Conclusions The implications of this study are valuable for educators and researchers, providing insights into how to design and implement visual programming learning activities using diverse reward systems as incentive mechanisms. These findings can help enhance students' learning performance more efficiently.