Effects of Guided Inquiry- based Learning and Teaching Approach on Students' Confidence, Motivation and Communication Skills in an Introductory Computer Programming Course

Entry-level students joining the university find the sudden transition from the familiar schooling environment quite challenging. This is very evident among the students who enroll for difficult courses such as introduction to programming. Students’ confidence, motivation and communication skills are major factors that determine their eventual success in such courses. The traditional teacher-centered approach to teaching does not address this problem. This study aimed to find the effects of teaching entry-level students doing an introductory computer programming course in a South African university through Guided Inquiry Learning (GIL) approach on their confidence, motivation, and communication skills. GIL is an active, learner-centered collaborative learning and teaching approach. This study was located in a pragmatic paradigm using a mixed-methods approach. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 19 students who voluntarily participated in the study and were analysed using descriptive statistical methods and thematic analysis respectively. The study found that the GIL approach had a significant positive impact on the students’ confidence, motivation and communication skills. Students were motivated and confident to continue studying the advanced programming courses.