Agenda for Computer Science Education

This paper examines the nature and scope of computer science education (CSE) research. We first distinguish CSE research from other forms of educational research, outlining its aims and identity as a research discipline. In examining the state of the art of CSE research, we attempt to categorise past research studies into general themes, reflecting the diverse contributions to CSE made over the years. Further, we critique each category, highlighting possible benefits and limitations. We argue that there has been a lack of reference to pedagogical theory, underlying most past research studies. This has resulted in a failure to provide teachers with "pedagogical content knowledge", critical to gaining useful insights into cognitive and educational issues surrounding learning. We conclude by providing guidelines for CSE research, stressing the need for a stronger connection to the theoretical frameworks of education-related disciplines such as pedagogy, epistemology, curriculum studies and psychology.