The relationships between conceptions of and approaches to learning computer science among college computer science students

Abstract

Previous researches have established a link between students’ conceptions of learning and approaches to learning. College computer science education involves more specific training and academic preparation for the students. However, until recently, only a few quantitative studies have been conducted to assess college computer science majors’ conceptions of and approaches to learning computer science. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess these students’ conceptions of and approaches to learning computer science, and then to explore the relationships between Conceptions of Learning Computer Science Survey (COLCS) and Approaches to Learning Computer Science Survey (ALCS). The participants in this study included 421 computer science students in Taiwan. Results showed that the students with deep motivation and strategies expressed higher-level of conceptions of learning computer science, and did not attempt to have ‘testing’ conception of learning computer science especially for the students with deep motivation. In addition, the regression analyses revealed that the computer science students’ conceptions of learning were viewed as predictors to explain their approaches to learning.