A Study on Junior-College Students' Maladaptive Cognition and Behaviour in Computer Programming Courses

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The teaching objectives of senior vocational education emphasise professional skills training. In information technology and computer studies, computer programming is an extremely important foundation course for its corresponding professions. However, many studies on programming courses have pointed out that computer programming is a difficult subjectto learn; even undergraduates in information technology and computer studies are deterred by it. According to past research, learners' maladaptive cognition and behavior when learning computer programming tend to affect learning achievement. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the maladaptive cognition and learners' behavior in computer programming courses on their learning achievement. Methods: For that reason, this study applied a research survey to investigate the relationship between learners' maladaptive cognition and behavior and learning achievement in computer programming courses. The research participants were students in the information management department of technical and vocational schools who had previously taken programming courses. A surface strategy scale and a procrastination scale were adopted as research instruments to measure learners' maladaptive cognition and behaviour, respectively. Results: The results showed that learners' maladaptive cognition in the learning processes of computer programming courses had a significant, positive impact on their maladaptive behaviour and a significant, negative impact on their learning achievement. These findings indicate that learners' maladaptive cognition affects learning processes and effectiveness. For that reason, learners should reduce the incidence of maladaptive cognition during learning activities, so as to effectively lessen its negative impact on learning outcomes. The results of this study could be used as a reference for educators and educational researchers when designing curricula in the field of computer programming.