Initial steps in teaching Python at lower secondary school using the platform Codeboard.io

Even though there is a trend to integrate programming through Python into education in lower secondary schools, Python is usually assumed to be more appropriate for older students. Besides, few teaching guidelines or materials are offered to teachers on programming through Python at lower secondary schools. Therefore, this study in an ordinary public lower secondary school in Prague, Czech Republic, tested guidelines for introductory steps in teaching Python (using the platform Codeboard.io) to eighth-grade students (N = 60). The study aimed to investigate how programming in Python can be introduced in lower secondary schools and examine how suitable the programming in Python is for students aged 13-14. The teaching approach to Python was based on student's motivation to design their own game using RPG Maker. The authors found out that the key factors influencing lower secondary school students' understanding of text-based programming languages are, primarily, a teacher's expertise in computer science and programming, a student's motivation and her/his previous experiences with programming.