Measuring enrichment: The assembly and validation of an instrument to assess student self-beliefs in CS1

Abstract

Educational research shows that self-beliefs can have profound influences on learning behavior and achievement. It follows, then, that beliefs about the nature of programming aptitude (mindset) and the way individuals perceive themselves as programmers (self-concept) could have a salient impact on their programming practice. As such, new teaching methods could be used to support student self-beliefs and thereby encourage practice. However, valid measurement is needed to test this hypothesis. This paper presents the assembly and validation of a measurement instrument to support research into self-enrichment within the introductory programming context. An evaluation shows that the reliability and construct validity of the instrument are adequate, while the concurrent validity of the evaluation framework is satisfactory in the higher education context. However, future validation is required to establish cross-context validity.