Analyzing the effects of Arduino applications on students’ opinions, attitude and self-efficacy in programming class

The purpose of this study was to determine IT teacher candidates’ attitudes, self-efficacy and opinions about educational robotic-based programming education. The participants of this study consisted of 2nd class students in Computer Education and Instructional Technologies department of a university in Turkey. The study group of the research consisted of undergraduate students who takes C programming course, and who also undertook traditional teaching as well as weekly Arduino applications that matched with weekly topics. Programming attitude and self-efficacy perception scales were used to specify students’ attitude towards the course and self-efficacy perception. In addition to quantitative data, to explain the entire process from students’ perspectives, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was applied. The study findings showed that using micro-controllers such as Arduino for laboratory applications in programming education was of a positive effect on students’ attitudes, which was also supported by interview findings. Accordingly, almost all of the students described this application as engaging, interesting, exciting, and intriguing. The changes in students’ self-efficacy perception towards programming were also investigated and the findings demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference, which was proven by the quantitative data obtained from the interviews. In this sense, although students perceived programming education with Arduino as positive, they were careful about this education model in terms of programming knowledge and skill development.