Empirical Comparison of C++ And Python For Teaching Introductory Programming Students and Their Impact On Learning Outcomes

Abstract

: Programming is at the bedrock of the computing discipline and the decision between languages of choice to be studied as first programming language lays the critical aspect of the learning of the fundamental programming concepts, coding standards, and problem-solving methods. In the context of a rapidly developing technology, it is necessary to reconcile pedagogical efficiency in academic training as well as with the trends in the industry. C++ has enjoyed a long history as a dominant programming language in academia and industry but doubts are being raised that it is not the most effective language to be learnt as a beginner due to its perhaps more complex code than other languages such as Python. This paper is comparative research on C++ and Python as the introductory languages in undergraduate studies. An evaluation of the literature and student performance and engagement through survey allows us to conclude that Python, with its simplicity, readability, syntactic regularity, orthogonality, and greater degree of abstraction, is likely to produce higher learning outcomes and engagement even in novice programmers than C++. The paper concludes that Python (as a programming language) is potentially more effective in teaching elementary programming, but that also it is necessary to consider the goals of a curriculum and industry practices.