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A Study Upends Stereotypes About Good Coders

A 2020 study revealed that learning how to code resembles learning a language like French or Chinese—challenging entrenched beliefs about coding.

December 21, 2020

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In Chantel S. Prat, Tara M. Madhyastha, Malayka J. Mottarella, and Chu-Hsuan Kuo’s 2020 study on how natural language aptitude affects the ability to learn programming languages, the authors found that learning to code had more in common with learning a language than it had with solving math problems—an outcome that holds the potential to make us reconsider our ideas of what kind of skills might make for the best coders and programmers. 

To learn more about 2020's most compelling research findings for educators, visit: The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2020

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  • Education Equity
  • Research
  • Computer Science/Coding
  • Math

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