2026-07-22T20:42:31Z https://drops.dagstuhl.de/oai

oai:drops-oai.dagstuhl.de:26751 2026-07-22T11:06:00Z ddc:004 open_access

5W2H as a Flexible Analytical Framework for Investigating Programming Teaching and Learning Across Different Methodological Designs Rodrigues, Gabryella Morais, Ceres Osório, António 5W2H programming education programming learning analytical framework Higher Education 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. Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik Gabryella Rodrigues and Ceres Morais and António Osório 2026 Is Part Of OASIcs, Volume 145, 7th International Computer Programming Education Conference (ICPEC 2026) InProceedings Text doc-type:ResearchArticle publishedVersion application/pdf doi:10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.14 urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-267516 https://drops.dagstuhl.de/entities/document/10.4230/OASIcs.ICPEC.2026.14 eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode