Student Background: An Invaluable Player for Academic Success

Abstract

Student background undoubtedly influences the performance of students in computer science. The literature verily indicates that there are many key aspects of student background that influence students’ performance in a programming course. These include the socioeconomic status, demographic profile, types of gadgets students have, home possessions, and internet connectivity. This study aims to find answers to some pertinent questions related to different aspects of background and their association with computer science students’ performance. A questionnaire-based survey was used to collect data for analysis from a first-year computer programming course at a regional university in the South Pacific. This paper presents the students’ demographic and socioeconomic profiles and investigates their association with students’ performance. The results show that a student’s background is a significant factor in influencing their computing course performance.