Towards Self-motivated Learning in Computer Science Education: Results of a Questionnaire Study

Self-motivation is known to be a strong predictor for academic achievements over time and therefore it is important to investigate what aspects of computer science foster self-motivated learning. This paper presents a questionnaire study among students of grade 10 and 11 (n = 874) in which their overall interest in computer science studies is related to their intrinsic motivation in practical, theoretical, and technical aspects of this subject. The data analysis shows that the practical aspect is connected to the highest amount of intrinsic motivation. A deeper investigation using linear models, however, reveals that the technical aspect is the core factor influencing the interest in working towards a career as a computer science professional. The theoretical aspect has a lower influence, and the influence of the practical aspect is even negative, when being combined with the two other aspects. Our interpretation of these surprising results is that the technical aspects of computer science are crucial to attract highly self-motivated students for a professional computer science career. However, to address a broader audience of students, it may be advisable to focus on practical aspects in the beginning. Additionally, the authors found significant differences between female and male students and between students that had or had not attended a voluntary computer science course before.