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The Hands-Up Problem and How to Deal with It: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences of Debugging in the Classroom

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Title: The Hands-Up Problem and How to Deal with It: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences of Debugging in the Classroom
Language: English
Authors: Laurie Gale (ORCID 0009-0004-4299-6704), Sue Sentance (ORCID 0000-0002-0259-7408)
Source: Informatics in Education. 2026 25(1):109-136.
Availability: Vilnius University Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Akademjos str. 4, Vilnius LT 08663 Lithuania. Tel: +37-5-21-09300; Fax: +37-5-27-29209; e-mail: info@mii.vu.lt; Web site: https://infedu.vu.lt/journal/INFEDU
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 28
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Troubleshooting, Programming, Computer Science Education, Secondary School Teachers, Teaching Experience, Teacher Attitudes, Barriers, Classroom Environment
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
ISSN: 1648-5831
2335-8971
Abstract: Debugging is a vital but challenging skill for beginner programmers to learn. It is also a difficult skill to teach. For secondary school teachers, who may lack time or programming experience, honing students' understanding of debugging can be a daunting task. Despite this, little research has explored their perspectives of debugging. To this end, we investigated secondary teachers' experiences of debugging in the classroom, with a focus on text-based programming. Through thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews, we identified a common reliance on the teacher for debugging support, embodied by many raised hands. We call this phenomenon the 'hands-up problem'. While more experienced and confident teachers discussed strategies they use to counteract this, less confident teachers discussed the negative consequences of this problem. We recommend further research into debugging-specific pedagogical content knowledge and professional development to help less confident teachers develop approaches for supporting their students with debugging.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506509
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Hands-Up Problem and How to Deal with It: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences of Debugging in the Classroom
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laurie+Gale%22">Laurie Gale</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4299-6704">0009-0004-4299-6704</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sue+Sentance%22">Sue Sentance</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0259-7408">0000-0002-0259-7408</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Informatics+in+Education%22"><i>Informatics in Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 25(1):109-136.
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  Data: Vilnius University Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Akademjos str. 4, Vilnius LT 08663 Lithuania. Tel: +37-5-21-09300; Fax: +37-5-27-29209; e-mail: info@mii.vu.lt; Web site: https://infedu.vu.lt/journal/INFEDU
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  Data: 1648-5831<br />2335-8971
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  Data: Debugging is a vital but challenging skill for beginner programmers to learn. It is also a difficult skill to teach. For secondary school teachers, who may lack time or programming experience, honing students' understanding of debugging can be a daunting task. Despite this, little research has explored their perspectives of debugging. To this end, we investigated secondary teachers' experiences of debugging in the classroom, with a focus on text-based programming. Through thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews, we identified a common reliance on the teacher for debugging support, embodied by many raised hands. We call this phenomenon the 'hands-up problem'. While more experienced and confident teachers discussed strategies they use to counteract this, less confident teachers discussed the negative consequences of this problem. We recommend further research into debugging-specific pedagogical content knowledge and professional development to help less confident teachers develop approaches for supporting their students with debugging.
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      – SubjectFull: Computer Science Education
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      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Teachers
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
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