Teaching and learning programming can be challenging within ecosystems that incorporate various techniques for engaging both educators and students with technology. Despite this, insufficient studies have been conducted to assess the current state of learning programming techniques in education. To address this gap, a preliminary study was conducted to collect data on introductory programming courses among students in tertiary education. This article presents an analysis of the results pertaining to undergraduate students, drawn from the data collected during the preliminary study, with a focus on the challenges they encounter in learning programming. A total of ninety-five undergraduate students from various public educational institutions in northern Malaysia participated in this preliminary study. The data sets were analysed using SPSS version 29.0 and interpreted using a 7-point Likert scale. The results indicated that students rated positively in aspects such as the system development environment, internet access, programming structure, program design, and problem-solving at the basic difficulty level. Students preferred self-directed learning over conventional lectures when faced with learning challenges. They identified specific concepts as the most difficult in programming and preferred examples, exercises, and visualisations over lectures. These findings are significant for determining practical teaching tools, approaches, and techniques for future programming education and for enhancing computational thinking skills as part of the fifth Industrial Revolution agenda.