Development and validation of a programming self-efficacy scale for senior primary school learners

Programming is one of the important literacies in the digital age. The acquisition of such knowledge and skills is of vital importance to the next generation. This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to measure programming self-efficacy of senior primary school learners (Grade 4 - Grade 6) in a block-based environment. The proposed scale consisted of two subcomponents related to learners’ perceptions of their own competence in (1) programming knowledge and (2) programming skills. In order to assess the validity of the scale, online questionnaires were distributed to 106 primary school students who joined a course of a new programming curriculum. The objective of the curriculum is to nurture young learners to solve daily life problems. The reliability of the scale was good. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the validity of the instrument. More specifically, results indicated that the hypothesized measurement model of the scale fit the data collected. It confirmed that the scale was valid and adequate for measuring programming self-efficacy of senior primary school learners. Theoretical and practical implications of this study were discussed at the end of the paper. Copyright © 2017 The Hong Kong Jockey Club.