Exploring Students Intentions to Study Computer Science and Identifying the Differences among Ict and Programming Based Courses

Computer Science (CS) courses comprise both Programming and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) issues; however these two areas have substantial differences, inter alia the attitudes and beliefs of the students regarding the intended learning content. In this research, factors from the Social Cognitive Theory and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology were selected as important motivating factors in students’ behavior and attitude towards CS courses. This hybrid framework aims to a) investigate the influence of these factors on students’ intention to study CS and b) identify potential differences on these effects among ICT and Programming based courses. Responses from the total of 126 Greek students, (71 attending ICT courses and 55 attending Programming Courses) were used to measure the variables and to identify the differences between ICT and Programming students. Results revealed the influence of most of the motivating factors, on students’ intention to study CS and indicated the moderating effect in the enrolment with ICT or Programming course on the relationship among students’ Perceived Behavioral Control and their intention to study CS. The outcomes of this study are expected to open new avenues to understanding students’ intentions to pursue computing and IT related careers.