Investigating Functional Fixedness among Novice Student Programmers

Abstract

Functional Fixedness (FF) refers to a type of fixation which hinders an individual to use an object in an unfamiliar, atypical, and new ways aside from what had been previously learned about the object’s functionality. In a problem-solving activity, FF may delay or impede the process of finding a solution due to the inability to utilize the available materials and options presented. In this study, the incidence of FF in the context of computer programming was investigated. The students were given programming problems that require them to utilize a specific Java pre-defined method in a different manner from its basic and usual implementation. Results showed that all students exhibited at least 1 incidence of FF although no significant relationship was found between FF and their poor performance in solving the problems. The students explained that they got stuck in the known usage and it was difficult for them to think of other ways to use it in order to solve the problems.