Document Open Access Logo

5W2H as a Flexible Analytical Framework for Investigating Programming Teaching and Learning Across Different Methodological Designs

Authors Gabryella Rodrigues , Ceres Morais , António Osório

PDF

File

Thumbnail PDF
PDF
OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.14.pdf
  • Filesize: 2.64 MB
  • 13 pages

Document Identifiers

Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Social and professional topics → Computing education
  • Social and professional topics → Computer science education
Keywords
  • 5W2H
  • programming education
  • programming learning
  • analytical framework
  • Higher Education

Metrics

Abstract

Teaching and learning programming in Higher Education is a complex process involving cognitive, pedagogical, contextual, and metacognitive dimensions. Traditional analyses focused only on final learning outcomes, such as code correctness, performance, or pass/fail rates, may not fully capture how students construct knowledge, face difficulties, mobilize strategies, and interact with different learning contexts. This article discusses the use of the 5W2H framework as a flexible analytical tool in two doctoral studies on programming teaching and learning. The first study used 5W2H to organize and triangulate data from a mixed-methods single case study on the teaching and learning of programming in a Higher Education course. The second study articulated 5W2H with the spiral model and Bloom’s revised taxonomy to analyze a qualitative multiple case study focused on students' algorithm construction process. Through a comparative analysis, the article shows that 5W2H can operate at different analytical scales: as a broad structure for mapping subjects, contexts, methodologies, difficulties, and learning factors, and as a process-oriented framework for interpreting students' actions during algorithmic problem solving. The findings suggest that 5W2H supports the organization, categorization, triangulation, and interpretation of complex educational data. Therefore, the framework offers a useful methodological lens for research in programming education, helping researchers understand the relationships between subjects, contexts, strategies, difficulties, and cognitive processes involved in teaching and learning programming.

Cite As Get BibTex

Gabryella Rodrigues, Ceres Morais, and António Osório. 5W2H as a Flexible Analytical Framework for Investigating Programming Teaching and Learning Across Different Methodological Designs. In 7th International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2026). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 145, pp. 14:1-14:13, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026) https://doi.org/10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.14

Author Details

Gabryella Rodrigues
  • Federal Institute of Pará (IFPA), Brazil
Ceres Morais
  • Graduate Program in Computer Science (UERN/UFERSA), State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), Federal University of the Semi-Arid Region (UFERSA), Brazil
António Osório
  • Research Centre on Education (CIEd), Institute of Education, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the Graduate Program of the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) for this submission.

References

  1. Lorin W. Anderson and David R. Krathwohl. A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Addison Wesley Longman, 2001. Google Scholar
  2. M. B. do Prado, J. da S. F. Junior, J. F. Raphanhin, and M. D. Â. M. Sarreta. Determinação e gestão de causas raízes de falhas e proposta de melhoria por meio do 5w2h no setor de atendimento de uma pizzaria em de minas gerais. Brazilian Journal of Business, 3(4):3295-3305, 2021. Google Scholar
  3. A. de J. Gomes. Dificuldades de aprendizagem de programação de computadores: Contributos para a sua compreensão e resolução. PhD thesis, Universidade de Coimbra, 2010. URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10316/14586.
  4. L. Heng, Z. Longfu, and Y. Qian. Research on safety control of refined oil depot based on big data technology. In Proceedings of the 2019 2nd International Conference on Data Science and Information Technology, pages 249-254, 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/3352411.3352450.
  5. S. Kawaguchi, T. Nishikawa, Y. Sato, R. Onuma, H. Nakayama, S. Nakamura, and Y. Miyadera. Development of a training data creation support environment for estimating programming learning situations. In 2019 18th International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training (ITHET), pages 1-6, 2019. URL: https://doi.org/10.1109/ITHET46829.2019.8937339.
  6. A. C. T. Klock, I. Gasparini, and M. S. Pimenta. 5w2h framework: A guide to design, develop and evaluate the user-centered gamification. In Proceedings of the 15th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pages 1-10, 2016. Google Scholar
  7. Manuel Laguna and Johan Marklund. Business process modeling, simulation and design. Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2018. Google Scholar
  8. J. C. S. Leite, Y. Yu, L. Liu, S. Eric, and J. Mylopoulos. Quality-based software reuse. In International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering, pages 535-550, 2005. Google Scholar
  9. R. Lister, E. S. Adams, S. Fitzgerald, W. Fone, J. Hamer, M. Lindholm, R. McCartney, J. E. Moström, K. Sanders, O. Seppälä, B. Simon, and L. Thomas. A multi-national study of reading and tracing skills in novice programmers. SIGCSE Bulletin, 36(4):119-150, 2004. URL: https://doi.org/10.1145/1041624.1041673.
  10. C. G. Morais, J. N. de FL Araújo, and R. W. de Lima. Utilizando o framework 5w2h para compreender o processo de ensino e aprendizagem de programação. In Anais do XXXIV Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação, pages 222-233, 2023. Google Scholar
  11. Ceres Germanna Braga Morais. Ensino e aprendizagem de programação: estudo de caso no Ensino Superior. Tese de doutoramento em ciências da educação, especialidade em tecnologia educativa, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal, 2021. Google Scholar
  12. Jean Piaget. Genetic epistemology. Columbia University Press, 1970. Google Scholar
  13. S. S. Prietch and T. A. Pazeto. Mapeamento de cursos de licenciatura em computação seguido de proposta de padronização de matriz curricular. In XVIII Workshop de Educação em Computação (WEI 2010), Anais do XXX Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Computação-CSBC, pages 921-930, 2010. Google Scholar
  14. A. Robins, J. Rountree, and N. Rountree. Learning and teaching programming: A review and discussion. Computer Science Education, 13(2):137-172, 2003. URL: https://doi.org/10.1076/CSED.13.2.137.14200.
  15. S. N. M. Rum and M. A. Ismail. Metocognitive support accelerates computer assisted learning for novice programmers. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 20(3):170-181, 2017. URL: https://www.j-ets.net/ETS/journals/20_3/14.pdf.
  16. Gabryella Rocha Rodrigues da Silva. A aprendizagem de programação no Ensino Superior: um estudo multicasos sobre fatores cognitivos e contextuais. Tese de doutoramento em ciências da educação, especialidade em tecnologia educativa, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal, 2025. Google Scholar
  17. Elliot Soloway and James C. Spohrer. Studying the novice programmer. L. Erlbaum Associates, 1988. Google Scholar
  18. Ian Sommerville. Engenharia de software. Pearson Brasil, 10 edition, 2019. Google Scholar
  19. Susana da Veiga, Caroline Alves dos Santos, Júlia Rodrigues Estéfano, Kátia Celina da Silva Richetto, and Willian José Ferreira. Práticas colaborativas com swot e 5w2h para a promoção da equidade na educação a distância. EaD em Foco, 15(2):e2581, 2025. URL: https://doi.org/10.18264/eadf.v15i2.2581.
  20. K. S. Ventura and A. B. V. Suquisaqui. Aplicação de ferramentas swot e 5w2h para análise de consórcios intermunicipais de resíduos sólidos urbanos. Ambiente Construído, 20:333-349, 2019. Google Scholar
Any Issues?
X

Feedback on the Current Page

CAPTCHA

Thanks for your feedback!

Feedback submitted to Dagstuhl Publishing

Could not send message

Please try again later or send an E-mail
© 2023-2026 Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH About DROPS Imprint Privacy Contact