Python Versus C++: An Analysis of Student Struggle on SmallCoding Exercises in Introductory Programming Courses

Abstract

Many teachers of CS 1 (introductory programming) have
switched to Python rather than C, C++, or Java. One reason is the
belief that Python’s interpreted nature plus simpler syntax and
semantics ease a student’s learning, but data supporting that belief
is scarce. This paper addresses the question: Do Python learners
struggle less than C++ learners? We analyzed student submissions
on small coding exercises in CS 1 courses at 20 different
universities, 10 courses using Python, and 11 using C++. Each
course used either the Python or C++ version of an online
textbook from one publisher, each book having 100+ small coding
exercises, expected to take 2-5 minutes each. We considered 11
exercises whose Python and C++ versions were nearly identical
and that appeared in various chapters. We defined struggle rate for
exercises, where struggle means a student spent excessive time or
attempts on an exercise. Based on that rate, we found the learning
for Python was not eased; in fact, Python students had
significantly higher struggle rates than C++ students (26% vs.
13%). Higher rates were seen even when considering only classes

with no prerequisites, classes for majors only, or classes for non-
majors only. We encourage the community to do further analyses,

to help guide teachers when choosing a CS 1 language.