Tool, Tutor, or Crutch?: A Grounded Theory of Cognitive Scaffolding and Offloading in AI-Assisted Programming Education (SCI 中科院Q1 Top)
Published in International Journal of STEM Education, 2026
Grounded theory study of how students use AI coding assistants as tools, tutors, and cognitive crutches in programming education, with implications for scaffolding and offloading.
Recommended citation: Liu, D., Fan, G., & Pan, L. (2026). Tool, tutor, or crutch?: A grounded theory of cognitive scaffolding and offloading in AI-assisted programming education. International Journal of STEM Education, 13, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-025-00592-w
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