Analysis of Student Difficulties in Computer Progr
Analysis of Student Difficulties in Computer Progr
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All content following this page was uploaded by Aan Subhan Pamungkas on 15 March 2018.
Received: 22 August 2017. Received in revised form: 02 October 2017. Accepted: 02 October 2017
Abstract
Computer programming skills are required in mathematics computing courses. Most students
have difficulty making computer programs. This study aims to identify the difficulties faced by
students in making computer programs. This research is descriptive quantitative research. The
subjects in this study are students of Mathematics Education Departement, Muhammadiyah
University of Tangerang. Based on the results of data analysis, the conclusion is: (1) there are
significant differences in multidimensional array material between high, medium and low group;
(2) there is a significant difference in input / ouput command material between high, medium and
low group; (3) there are significant differences about the difficulties experienced by students in
understanding the basic concept of programming between high, medium and low groups; (4)
there is a significant difference regarding the difficulties experienced by students in finding the
fault of their own programs between high, medium and low groups; (5) there is no significant
difference in situations that may assist students in programming for lab work in the high, medium
and low groups; (6) there is no significant difference in situations that can assist students in
programming to do alone tasks between high, medium and low groups; (7) there is no significant
difference in the lack of examples shown when practice makes poor performance in programming
between high, medium and low groups; (8) there is no significant difference in what makes poor
performance in programming a less conducive atmosphere between high, medium and low
groups.
formulating a solution, and writing down the The aimi of this study is to find out
solution in such a way that a computer can use difficulties faced by students in computer
the solution to solve the. Therefore a programming. The result of this study is
programmer should understand a problem first. expected to be input for computational
When the problem had been understood, mathematics course. What kind of action is
programmer would use problem solving technic needed so that the outcomes of the lectures get
to solve the problem. At last step a programmer better.
need to communicate that solution so that
computer could follow instruction that been METHOD
given.
Computer programming skill is needed This study used survey method. Groves,
in computational mathematics course. In that Fowler, Couper, Lepkowski, Singer, Tourangean
course, problem in mathematics is translated (2009), said that survey is a systematic method
into a computer program. The program is used for gathering information from (a sample of)
to get an answer from a given problem. entities for the purposes of constructing
Making a computer program is not an quantitative descriptors of the attributes of the
easy thing. This skill need another skills, like larger population of which the entities are.
designing algorithm, writing program in certain Systematic is deliberate and meaningfully
program language, and understanding syntax distinguishes surveys from other ways of
from the program (Rahmat, Shahrani, Latih, gathering information. The quantitative
Yatim, Zainal, & Rahman, 2012). descriptors are called statistics.
For most students, programming is a This study used questionnaire adapted
new thing. It needs basic skill to reach advanced from instrument used by Milne and Rowe
level in computer programming. Students need (2002), Tan, Ting, Ling, (2009), and Derus and
to know basic syntax, structure, and style of a Ali (2012). To obtain the necessary information,
program language gradually. These make the questionnaire consists of two major
students feel difficult often. sections, the background information of
Difficulties in programming are respondents in general, and the experience of
common for novice students. As Evan and respondents when learning programming.
Simkin (1989) said that computer The number of respondents in this study
programming is very complicated for many about 132 students. Respondents are sixth
novice students at university level. Meanwhile semester students of Mathematics Education
Ala-Mutka (2004) said that difficulties faced by Department, Muhammadiyah University of
students are not in syntax or understanding of Tangerang
concept, but rather basic program planning
(Mhashi & Alakeel, 2013, pp. 15).
Based on score of computational RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
mathematics courses there are about 70% of
students achieved below grade of B. It indicated Of the 132 respondents who answered
that there are a problem happened. Therefore the questionnaire, 15% were male or about 20
an action is needed to find out the cause. people. While for female respondents 85% or
about 112 people. This can be seen in the
following diagram
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A. Baist, A.S. Pamungkas / VOLT: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Teknik Elektro 2 (2) (2017) 81-92
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A. Baist, A.S. Pamungkas / VOLT: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Teknik Elektro 2 (2) (2017) 81-92
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A. Baist, A.S. Pamungkas / VOLT: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Teknik Elektro 2 (2) (2017) 81-92
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A. Baist, A.S. Pamungkas / VOLT: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Teknik Elektro 2 (2) (2017) 81-92
freedom 2 and the value p = 0.003. Meanwhile boratory. This can be seen further in the follow-
the mean rank of the high group was 37.55, the ing diagram
moderate group 56.95, and the low group
72.76. This means that the degree of difficulty
in finding the fault of the program itself
between high, medium, and low groups differed
significantly. These results indicate that the low
group has difficulty finding the fault of their
own program.
From Table 7 it can be seen that there
are three types of interrelated difficulties when
studying programming: i) difficulty Figure 7. Practical in lab would help to learn
understanding basic concepts of programming programming
structure, ii) designing a program, and iii)
studying programming language syntax. These
From Figure 7 it appears that most stu-
three things are common for beginners when
dents agree that practice in the laboratory can
just learning programming. This is because
help them in learning the programming. Here
programming capabilities involve the ability to
are the results of testing the difference rates by
create algorithms, write in certain program
group.
languages, and understand the syntax of the
Table 13. Ranks of practical in lab
program's language (Rahmat, Shahrani, Latih,
Yatim, Zainal, & Rahman, 2012). Ranks
Table 12. Situations that would help to learn Performance N Mean Rank
programming High 10 62.30
Situations Mean Stdev Medium 30 61.77
Answer
Practical in lab 4,06 0,92 Low 92 68.50
Discussion with lecturers 3,91 0,96 Total 132
or friends
In small group exercise 3,68 0,98
Table 14. Test Statistics of practical in lab
sessions
In lectures 3,39 1,00 Test Statisticsa,b
While working alone on 3,06 1,00 Answer
programming coursework
Chi-Square 0.932
df 2
Table 12 is the student's opinion of sit-
uations that they think may help study pro- Asymp. Sig. 0.628
gramming. The scale used in each item in Table
From Table 13 and Table 14 it can be
12 is the Likert scale (1, strongly disagree; 2,
seen that there is no significant difference in
disagree; 3, neutral; 4, agree; 5, strongly agree).
situations that may help them in learning pro-
From Table 12 it can be seen that the average
gramming is laboratory practice between high,
student agreed to a situation that can help them
medium, and low groups. The H value of the test
in learning programming is practice in the la-
is 0.932 with degrees of freedom 2 and p value
= 0.628. Meanwhile mean rank of high group
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Factors Mean Stdev Table 18. Rank of less examples of practical use
Syllabus focuses too much 3,20 0,99 are shown
on theory
Syllabus coverage per 3,14 0,99 Ranks
semester is too wid Performance N Mean Rank
Learning environment that 3,03 0,99 Tinggi 10 60.10
is not conducive Sedang 30 59.40
Answer
Rendah 92 69.51
Table 17 is the student's opinion of the
Total 132
factors that make them get poor performance
when learning programming. The scale used in
Table 19. Test Statistics of less examples of
each item in Table 4 is the Likert scale (1,
practical use are shown
strongly disagree; 2, disagree; 3, neutral; 4,
agree; 5, strongly agree). Test Statisticsa,b
From Table 17 it can be seen that the Answer
average student believes that the neutral factor Chi-Square 2.186
that makes poor performance in programming df 2
is the lack of examples that are displayed when Asymp. Sig. 0.335
practicing. This factor is at the top of the list.
This can be seen further in the following dia- From Table 18 and Table 19 it can be
gram seen that there is no significant difference in the
lack of examples shown when the practice
makes their performance poorly in program-
ming between high, medium, and low groups.
The H value of the test is 2.186 with the degrees
of freedom 2 and the value p = 0.335. Mean-
while the mean rank of the high group was
60.10, the moderate group was 59.40, and the
low group was 69.51. This means that the lack
of examples shown when the practice of making
Figure 8. Less examples of practical use are poor performance in programming between
shown lead to poor performance in high, medium, and low groups does not differ
programming significantly.
From Table 17 it can be seen that the
average student assumes neutral that the fac-
From Figure 8 it is seen that 49.2% of
tors that make poor performance in program-
students think neutrally against the lack of ex-
ming is less conducive learning atmosphere.
amples shown when practicing. But as many as
This factor is at the bottom of the list. This can
41.6% of students agree to the lack of examples
be seen further in the following diagram
shown when practicing. It may be said that this
indicates that the actual example given by the
lecturer when the practice is still lacking. Here
are the results of testing the difference rates by
group
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