ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTION AT LOWER SECONDARY LEVEL: INSIGHTS FROM MAURITIUS

Abstract

The teaching and learning of programming skills at the lower secondary school level play a crucial role in developing problem-solving and computational thinking abilities. This report focuses on the state of programming education in Mauritius, specifically in grades 7 to 9, where limited research has been conducted. Despite the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in secondary schools since 1991, programming has not been recognized as a primary subject until the implementation of national education assessments. Additionally, the shortage of Computer Science educators, who primarily come from information systems or Information Technology backgrounds, has posed a significant challenge in teaching ICT effectively.

To address these issues, the Code Craft project was initiated to enhance the learning of fundamental programming skills and data structures. However, the existing strategies employed by computer educators have not yielded satisfactory results in terms of student performance. Therefore, it is essential to review previous studies in this field and explore effective concepts and educational strategies to improve programming instruction.

This study aims to fill the research gap by investigating the teaching and learning practices of programming in lower secondary schools in Mauritius. By analyzing the challenges faced by educators and students, valuable insights can be gained to develop innovative and targeted interventions. The findings from this study will contribute to the advancement of programming education and curriculum development in Mauritius, paving the way for improved computational thinking skills among students.