Exploring Gender Imbalance in Computer Science: Female School Students' Perceptions of Acess and Engagement in Computing

Author(s):

Yota Dimitriadi(presenting / submitting)Mark Dorling(presenting)Pete Marshman

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

03. Curriculum Innovation

Format:

Paper

Session Information

03 SES 03 B, School Curriculum and the Integration of 21st Century Skills

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-08

17:15-18:45

Room:

326.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

Francisco Sousa

Contribution

In spite of research and focused activities women continue to be underrepresented in Computer Science pathways in Western countries. Even though CS is one of the most modern of the Science subjects, essential to the digital infrastructure upon which society now depends (Hall, 2013), in the UK, in particular, only 6.5% of the A Level students who took up Computing in 2013 were female (Arnett, 2014); unfortunately, this is not a country-specific issue only and the literature reports a leaky pipeline and documents concerns about recuritment and retention of women in STEM (Science Engineering Technology and Mathematics) subjects across the Western world (Metcalf, 2010; Yansen and Zukerfield, 2014).

Peer influences, gender schemata, cultural assumptions and stereotypes are key factors impacting women’s entry into and retention in the sciences in general (Merrick, 2012) indicating the need for improved role models and focused campaigns (Plane, 2009), to attract female students to Computer Science education in particular.

This empirical study aims to explore perceptions and experiences of secondary-aged (11-16 years) female students who are studying Computing or have taken Computing as an exam option. The data is based on a case study from a Secondary school in the UK which has challenged the national trend of male dominant classes and enjoys a high ratio of girls in their Computing classes.

More specifically the study explores the participating female students’ experiences and views of Computing as a curriculum subject as well as possible influences that impacted these students’ choice to undertake Computing as an exam option.

We feel that the study can contribute to the discusions around effects practice and association have on women in STEM disciplines around Europe and make tentative suggestions for strategies to reconsider binaries in female representations and participation in Computing.

The interpretive framework of Actor Network Theory (ANT) (Bijker, 1999; Law and Hassard, 1999) informs the study and provides the platform to explore the interactions and association among technologies, human participants and their related activities. In ANT, engagement in the social processes of a community, such as the school that the female students and their teachers co-inhabit, as well as the subject of Computing and the artefacts used to develop understanding of this curricular area, shape both the participants as well as the objects themselves. In that context, as Lagesen (2012: 444) points out, gender becomes a process, rather than a pre-given category, as new objects are introduced into women’s lives and new relationships formed.

Method

Both qualitative and qualitative data collection approaches (surveys and interviews) are used in order to gain a better understanding of the complex multifaceted character that is educational phenomena (Greene, 2007). The survey is undertaken to explore the prevalence of views, opinions and perceptions that students have about Computing and the factors that influence positive or negative views about the subject. The survey includes both Likert-type responses where respondents provide an indication of how closely they agree or disagree with the suggested statements as well as open-ended questions to capture the girls’ own views. The surveys are completed by both boys and girls in six mixed gender and mixed ability classes (around 180 students). The results will include scores of girls but also the results of boys to enable contrasting analysis of the findings. In order to gather the qualitative data, a sample of 18 girls (three from each of the six Computing classes) will be interviewed as a panel. The girls will be selected based on their grades/predicted results for Computing and represent three different abilities (low, average, high). The interviews will follow the analysis of the survey data to support deeper understandings of the situation. This varied approach will allow for triangulation and validity of the results. The students will be provided with details of the project and parent confirmations will be received. The interviews will be undertaken in an informal fashion at a dedicated space at their school to avoid distractions and promote thoughtful answers. The interview questions are broad in nature to provide openness and identify the girls’ perceptions. The questions are based under themes which map to the literature reviewed. These semi-structured interviews focus on issues without being restrained by an exact and predetermined order of questions with specific wording enabling the girls to use their own words and ideas in more detail. The transcripts will be returned to the interviewees so that they can confirm or adjust their comments. In term of ethics, the anonymity and the privacy of the school and the students participating in the study are preserved. The respondents will be made aware that their names will be replaced with fictional names in the transcripts/study. All the girls will be informed that they can withdraw their participation from the study at any time. The data collection is completed at the end of the spring term.

Expected Outcomes

The findings are analysed under three themes as they emerge from the literature: a. Self Efficacy & Family (Personal) b. Perceptions & Role Models (Society) c. Teachers & Learning Environment (Classroom) The self-efficacy of the female students is high throughout their studies, in contrast to that identified in the literature. In agreement with the literature it is clear that girls do prefer the social topics of Computing where there is the opportunity to use Computing to do good for the community and wider world. The girls are also encouraged by their parents to study Computing which matches the literature reviewed. The girls are aware that there are more boys studying Computing nationally at secondary schools. However, they do not see their Computing classroom as male dominated and consider Computing as important to develop skills for their future. They did not see these skills as merely programming but in the wider computational thinking capacity. This could be the result of the range of extra-curricular activities provided at the school and aimed at girls but also 50% of the girls surveyed had a female role model at home. The girls enjoyed the learning opportunities and the classroom environment offered at their school but more importantly it was the personal values offered by the teachers in terms of availability, good sense of humour and the confidence that their teachers had in their ability. We hope that the findings will provide further insights into reasons that encourage female students to engage with Computing. The results will be useful in developing a campaign to reach wider school female audiences.

References

Arnett, G. (2014). A-level results 2014: the full breakdown. The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/aug/14/a-level-results-2014-the-full-breakdown [accessed on 20/01/15]. Bijker, W.E. (1999) Of bicycles, bakelites and bulbs. Towards a theory of sociotechnical change. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Greene, J. (2007). Mixed methods in social inquiry. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Hall, W. (2013). Where are all the women in computer science? Without them, Britain will fall behind. New Statesman, 142(5146), 19. Lagesen, V.A. (2012). Reassembling gender: Actor-network theory (ANT) and the making of the technology in gender. Social Studies of Science, 4(3): 442-448. Law, J. and Hassard, J. (eds.). Actor Network Theory and after. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Merrick, H. (2012). Challenging implicit gender bias in science: positive representations of female scientists in fiction, Journal of Community Positive Practices, 4: 744-768. Metcalf, H. (2010). Stuck in the Pipeline: A Critical Review of STEM Workforce Literature. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, 6(2) Papastergiou, M. (2008). Are computer science and information technology still masculine fields? High school students' perceptions and career choices. Computers & Education, 51, 594-608. Yansen, G. And Zukerfield, M. (2014). Why Don’t Women Program? Exploring Links between Gender, Technology and Software Science Technology & Society, 19: 305-329.

Author Information

Yota Dimitriadi (presenting / submitting)

UNIVERSITY OF READING

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

READING

Mark Dorling (presenting)

Computing At School (CAS), United Kingdom

Pete Marshman

Park House School,

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