The Development and Validation of the Questionnaire to Characterize Learning Strategies in Computer Programming (CEAPC)

Abstract

This article presents the design, construct validation, and reliability of a self-report instrument in Spanish that aims to characterize different types of strategies that students can use to learn computer programming. We provide a comprehensive overview of the identification of learning strategies in the existing literature, the design and development of preliminary questionnaire items, the refinement of item wording, and the examination of the internal structure and reliability of the final instrument. The construction of the items was based on the educational theory of Self-Regulated Learning. The final version of the questionnaire, called the Computer Programming Learning Strategies Questionnaire (CEAPC), was administered to 647 students enrolled in computer programming courses. The data collected from the participants were used to examine the construct validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The CEAPC consists of 13 subscales, each corresponding to a different type of learning strategy, and a total of 89 items. Statistical analyses of the data indicate that the CEAPC has adequate construct validity. In addition, the results of the internal consistency analysis indicate satisfactory reliability across the different subscales of the instrument. This study contributes to the field of educational research, particularly in the area of self-regulated learning in computer programming.