Low success rates in the introduction to programming course at a small southwest Georgia state university have led to a low retention rate in the computer science degree program. The instructional strategy used to teach the course could contribute to the low success rates of the students in the course. Andragogy, the adult learning theory, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if differences existed in the numerical unit test scores between students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based class format and students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. The participants included 52 students who took the introduction to programming course during Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. The students’ unit test scores were analyzed using a series of ANCOVAs. No statistically significant differences were found in the unit test scores between the students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based format and the students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. By introducing the students to team-based learning earlier in the introduction to programming course, students’ confidence in their ability to make decisions could increase, course withdrawal rates could decrease, and the students’ ability to work in teams could be improved.
","abstract_html":"<p>Low success rates in the introduction to programming course at a small southwest Georgia state university have led to a low retention rate in the computer science degree program. The instructional strategy used to teach the course could contribute to the low success rates of the students in the course. Andragogy, the adult learning theory, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if differences existed in the numerical unit test scores between students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based class format and students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. The participants included 52 students who took the introduction to programming course during Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. The students’ unit test scores were analyzed using a series of ANCOVAs. No statistically significant differences were found in the unit test scores between the students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based format and the students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. By introducing the students to team-based learning earlier in the introduction to programming course, students’ confidence in their ability to make decisions could increase, course withdrawal rates could decrease, and the students’ ability to work in teams could be improved.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cook, Karen Streetman"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counseling, Foundations & Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Jennifer L. Brown","Dr. Yesem Peker","Dr. Kimberly Shaw"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:08Z","subjects":["Team-Based Learning","Test Scores","Adult Learners","Computer Programming","Georgia","Higher Education","ANCOVA","Curriculum and Instruction","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Leadership"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/441","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Jennifer L. 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The instructional strategy used to teach the course could contribute to the low success rates of the students in the course. Andragogy, the adult learning theory, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if differences existed in the numerical unit test scores between students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based class format and students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. The participants included 52 students who took the introduction to programming course during Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. The students’ unit test scores were analyzed using a series of ANCOVAs. No statistically significant differences were found in the unit test scores between the students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based format and the students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. By introducing the students to team-based learning earlier in the introduction to programming course, students’ confidence in their ability to make decisions could increase, course withdrawal rates could decrease, and the students’ ability to work in teams could be improved.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Use of Team-Based Learning to Improve Unit Test Scores of Adult Learners in Introduction to Programming Courses in a Small Southwest Georgia University"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Jennifer L. Brown","Dr. Yesem Peker","Dr. Kimberly Shaw"],"dc:creator":["Cook, Karen Streetman"],"dc:date.available":["2021-08-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Low success rates in the introduction to programming course at a small southwest Georgia state university have led to a low retention rate in the computer science degree program. The instructional strategy used to teach the course could contribute to the low success rates of the students in the course. Andragogy, the adult learning theory, was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if differences existed in the numerical unit test scores between students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based class format and students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. The participants included 52 students who took the introduction to programming course during Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. The students’ unit test scores were analyzed using a series of ANCOVAs. No statistically significant differences were found in the unit test scores between the students who took introduction to programming using a traditional lecture and lab-based format and the students who took introduction to programming using a team-based learning format. By introducing the students to team-based learning earlier in the introduction to programming course, students’ confidence in their ability to make decisions could increase, course withdrawal rates could decrease, and the students’ ability to work in teams could be improved.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/441"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Team-Based Learning","Test Scores","Adult Learners","Computer Programming","Georgia","Higher Education","ANCOVA","Curriculum and Instruction","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Leadership"],"dc:title":["The Use of Team-Based Learning to Improve Unit Test Scores of Adult Learners in Introduction to Programming Courses in a Small Southwest Georgia University"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling, Foundations & Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:08Z"}