Student Knowledge and Misconceptions

Students’ knowledge is at the center of computing education. Research relating to this knowledge has frequently focused on the difficulties experienced by students when learning, aspects of which are often referred to as “misconceptions.” We can see this research as helping educators with anticipating and understanding students’ learning difficulties. While there is a considerable body of literature on misconceptions in introductory computing, we review literature to demonstrate that documentation of misconceptions in computing extends beyond introductory topics. Additionally, we highlight strands of education research outside of CEdR and how it might apply within computing. For researchers, this chapter charts potential directions for future research that connects CEdR with education research outside of computing. For educators, this chapter provides resources for better understanding students’ difficulties and their origins and for adapting teaching practice.