Learning to Program Alongside AI: Critical Thinking, AI Ethics, and Gendered Patterns of German Secondary School Students

The "AI Paradox" in Young Programmers: While 84 German secondary school students (ages 16-19) demonstrated strong ethical reasoning about AI, many reported using AI-generated code without fully understanding it—revealing a gap between their stated values and actual practices.

Gendered Differences in AI Tool Adoption: Boys reported more frequent and experimental use of AI-assisted programming tools, while girls expressed greater skepticism and preferred peer collaboration, suggesting that gender influences how young people engage with generative AI in technical education.

Students Expect External Accountability: The majority of students attributed significant responsibility for AI practices to politics and corporations rather than individual developers, potentially reflecting Germany's cultural emphasis on regulation and data privacy—highlighting how cultural context shapes young people's views on AI responsibility.

Critical Need for "AI Literacy" Education: The study emphasizes that software engineering education must strengthen "critical AI literacy" by connecting ethical principles to concrete coding practices, rather than treating ethics and technical skills as separate subjects.

Secondary School Students Are an Overlooked Population: This is the first generation learning to program alongside generative AI tools, yet most prior research focused on university students or professional developers—making this cohort's perspectives essential for shaping future AI-literate workforces.