Abstract:
Recursion is a fundamental and powerful concept in algorithm design and programming. While invaluable for solving complex problems such as tree traversal and permutation generation, recursion presents challenges for students who often struggle with comprehension, tracing recursive calls, and devising efficient solutions. This study investigates teachers’ pedagogical and instructional strategies for teaching recursion, as well as effective assessment techniques. It explores the order in which programming concepts, such as iteration, selection, sequencing, recursion, and object-oriented programming (OOP) are taught in relation to how well students understand the concepts. It highlights the significance of the instructional sequence of these concepts, and reveals that, contrary to the advocated early teaching approach by some researchers – for example, teaching recursion first before iteration – recursion is mainly introduced last to students and is perceived by most of the surveyed teachers as the most challenging concept for students to learn. Teachers’ perceptions of the difficulty in teaching these concepts were also explored. Programming Assignments and Coding Challenges are found to be the most popular and effective assessment methods for recursion. The study advocates for an integrated teaching approach that combines tangible objects (e.g., boxes and envelopes) and visual aids (diagrams and animations) to enhance student engagement and understanding during recursion instruction. This multi-sensory approach caters to diverse learning styles and preferences among students, offering a strategy for addressing the challenges associated with teaching recursion.
PPIG 2024 - 35th Annual Workshop
Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives on Navigating Recursion Pedagogies