Girls and computer science: experiences, perceptions, and career aspirations

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine ways to promote computer science (CS) among girls by exploring young women’s experiences and perceptions of CS as well as investigating factors affecting their career aspirations. American girls aged 10–16 participated in focus group interviews as well as pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys while attending a CS camp. The analysis of data revealed that although the participants were generally positive about the CS field, they had very limited knowledge of and experience with CS, leading to little aspiration to become computer scientists. The findings also indicated that girls’ affinity for and confidence in CS were critical factors affecting their motivation for pursuing a CS-related career. The study demonstrated that participation in the CS camp motivated a small number of participants to be interested in majoring in CS, but the activity time was too short to make a significant impact. Based on the findings, we suggest that providing CS programming experiences in K-12 classrooms is important in order to boost girls’ confidence and interest in CS.

Keywords:

• Girls
• self-efficacy
• coding education
• computer science
• gender gap