What do we know about Computing Education in Africa? A Systematic Review of Computing Education Research Literature

TL;DR

This study addresses the underrepresentation of Africa in computing education research (CER) by conducting a structured systematic literature review of CER literature across major outlets. It identifies 68 Africa-centric CER papers from 1993 to 2023, with South Africa contributing the largest share and programming emerging as the dominant topic (about 43%). The work maps the current CER landscape in Africa, highlights gaps—especially in K-12, ethics, and emerging technologies—and provides concrete directions for future research, including the potential for Africa-focused CER venues. The findings carry policy and scholarly significance, guiding researchers, educators, and policymakers toward more equitable and comprehensive CER across educational levels and contexts in Africa.

Abstract

Noticeably, Africa is underrepresented in the computing education research (CER) community. However, there has been some effort from the researchers in the region to contribute to the growing need for computing for all. To understand the body of works that emerged from the global south region and their area of focus in computing education, we conducted a systematic review of the literature. This research investigates the prominent CER journals and conferences to discern the kind of research that has been published and how much contribution they have made to the growing field. Of the 68 selected studies, 45 papers were from South Africa. The prominent aspect of computing in the literature is programming, which accounts for 43%. We identified open areas for research in the context and discussed the implication of our findings for the development of CER in Africa.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: Landscape of Computing Education Research in Africa
• Figure 2: selected studies
• Figure 3: Research method, Education level and Learning setting
• Figure 4: Aspects of Computing Education Research in Africa