To understand the factors leading to success in programming courses it is helpful to examine the background of successful students. In this study we examined the influences of general ability, computer-related and general experience, perception of programming performance, and gender. We also studied the relationship between the form of classroom instruction and performance of successful students. Results indicated that the most successful students did not progress far along the chain of cognitive accomplishments of programming, gained their skills primarily from classroom instruction, and were not necessarily high in general ability or owners of home computers. These results have strong implications for classroom instruction.
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