Artificial Intelligence-Dominated World: Can Cognitive Style Moderate Contribution of Students’ Creativity to Programming Achievement?

Abstract

Programming skills are indispensable for the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. However, secondary school students often encounter difficulties in this particular aspect of computer science. This study investigated the moderating influence of students’ cognitive styles on the contribution of their creativity to their learning of programming. Utilizing the correlational design, the study surveyed 270 senior secondary school three (SS3) students from public senior secondary schools in the Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. The survey data was collected using the Students’ Achievement Test in Programming (r=0.74), Programming Creative Style Inventory (0.86), and Cognitive Style Inventory in Programming (r=0.76). The data collected were analysed through descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics of hierarchical multiple regression.The findings of the study indicated that both creativity and cognitive styles significantly contributed to students’ programming learning. However, cognitive style did not play a moderating role in the influence of creativity on students’ programming achievement. From these findings, the study recommended that teachers promote students’ creativity by employing essay questions rather than multiple-choice formats and adapt their instructional strategies to cater to the diverse needs of learners, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. This study sheds light on the significance of creativity and cognitive style in programming learning, and the findings can be utilized to design interventions aimed at enhancing programming learning among students with varying cognitive styles.