Children's fluid collaboration versus managing individual agendas: Cultural differences in pair programming

This study brings to light cultural differences that fit with two distinct models of collaboration and learning: shared thinking versus individual negotiation. The study identifies a previously unstudied sophisticated form of collaboration frequently used by 25 pairs of Mexican-heritage 8- to 11-year-old children and rarely used by 25 pairs of European American children. Pairs from both backgrounds spent nearly a third of the time during a computer programming activity building on each other's ideas through making and responding to proposals. However in addition, Mexican American pairs spent another third of the time coordinating in fluid synchrony, anticipating each other's contributions without proposals. This accounts for their averaging twice as much collaboration overall than the European American children, who spent more time resisting their partner's contributions, negotiating whose idea to use, and bossing their partner. [Display omitted] •Mexican American children collaborated twice as much as European American children.•Mexican American pairs often collaborated in 2 ways: fluid synchrony and making proposals.•European American pairs collaborated using proposals, but rarely in fluid synchrony.•They often tried to gain control, negotiated, and were in conflict in the pair programming activity.•These differences fit with cultural paradigms for learning together or dividing roles.