Comparing the Impact of Individual- and Team-Based ChatGPT Collaboration on High School Students' Cognitive Competencies in Programming Education

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Comparing the Impact of Individual- and Team-Based ChatGPT Collaboration on High School Students' Cognitive Competencies in Programming Education
Language: English
Authors: Mahmood H. Hussein (ORCID 0000-0001-9895-3907), Fatimah Husayn Amir Aldeeb (ORCID 0000-0001-8637-7009), Nor Lisa Sulaiman (ORCID 0000-0002-2070-3964), Monther M. Elaish (ORCID 0000-0002-0983-2327)
Source: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 2026 42(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Grade 12
Descriptors: Artificial Intelligence, High School Students, Cognitive Processes, Programming, Teamwork, Cooperative Learning, Technology Uses in Education, Grade 12, Models, Individual Activities, Teaching Methods
DOI: 10.1002/jcal.70226
ISSN: 0266-4909
1365-2729
Abstract: Background: Increased research attention has recently been given to the topic of programming education, due to its significance in promoting students' critical thinking, complex problem-solving, creativity, and communication skills--commonly known as the '4Cs'. In particular, collaborative programming has been recognised as a promising instructional approach to promote students' cognitive competencies in programming education. However, simply offering students opportunities to collaborate will not necessarily improve their 4Cs. Thus, the potential of ChatGPT has been considered to address the drawbacks of conventional collaborative programming and to improve students' cognitive capabilities. Objective: To ascertain whether ChatGPT is a viable instructional tool in collaborative programming, this study proposes the ChatGPT-CIDI (Clarify, Ideate, Develop and Implement) learning model. Methods: A quasi-experimental method was implemented, wherein 61 students from two 12th-grade classes participated. One class (Group One) (n = 28, M[subscript age] = 17.25) was assigned to individual-based collaboration using the ChatGPT-CIDI model, while the second class (Group Two) (n = 33, M[subscript age] = 17.61) undertook team-based collaboration using the same model. Results and Conclusion: The empirical results demonstrated that this approach significantly improved students' critical thinking in Group One (individual-based), compared to Group Two (team-based). However, neither group experienced significant improvement in their complex problem-solving, creativity, or communication skills. This study concludes with implications for research and practice, while also indicating the research limitations to determine future research directions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1500513
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Background: Increased research attention has recently been given to the topic of programming education, due to its significance in promoting students' critical thinking, complex problem-solving, creativity, and communication skills--commonly known as the '4Cs'. In particular, collaborative programming has been recognised as a promising instructional approach to promote students' cognitive competencies in programming education. However, simply offering students opportunities to collaborate will not necessarily improve their 4Cs. Thus, the potential of ChatGPT has been considered to address the drawbacks of conventional collaborative programming and to improve students' cognitive capabilities. Objective: To ascertain whether ChatGPT is a viable instructional tool in collaborative programming, this study proposes the ChatGPT-CIDI (Clarify, Ideate, Develop and Implement) learning model. Methods: A quasi-experimental method was implemented, wherein 61 students from two 12th-grade classes participated. One class (Group One) (n = 28, M[subscript age] = 17.25) was assigned to individual-based collaboration using the ChatGPT-CIDI model, while the second class (Group Two) (n = 33, M[subscript age] = 17.61) undertook team-based collaboration using the same model. Results and Conclusion: The empirical results demonstrated that this approach significantly improved students' critical thinking in Group One (individual-based), compared to Group Two (team-based). However, neither group experienced significant improvement in their complex problem-solving, creativity, or communication skills. This study concludes with implications for research and practice, while also indicating the research limitations to determine future research directions.
ISSN:0266-4909
1365-2729
DOI:10.1002/jcal.70226