Five C framework: A student-centered approach for teaching programming courses to students with diverse disciplinary background

The existing complexities of teaching and learning computer programming are increased where students are diverse in their disciplinary backgrounds, language skills, and cultures. Identifying opportunities for improvement and applying theoretical and empirical evidence found in literature, this study presents the Five C Framework ‒ Consistency, Collaboration, Cognition, Conception, and Creativity ‒ that integrates constructivist and collaborative learning theories in a student-centered teaching pedagogy. This framework was found to be effective in postgraduate courses in introductory programming over three consecutive terms. Analysis conducted using survey and interviews indicates that use of the Five C Framework reduced negative emotional issues, motivated students to become active learners, and improved the overall performance. The Five C Framework may thus be seen to provide a model for student-centered teaching pedagogy which helps to minimise complexities for diverse student cohorts.