Comparing Boys’ and Girls’ Attitudes Toward Computer Science

Abstract

Women are severely underrepresented in computer science (CS) degrees and careers. While student interest is a key predictor of success, little is known about how elementary students from underserved groups, such as girls, develop their interest in CS. To address this issue, we examined the differences in attitudes between upper elementary girls and boys towards CS after participating in a yearlong, inquiry-based CS curriculum designed for diverse learners. Pre-and-post surveys on students’ attitudes towards CS (n = 108) were delivered before and after student participation in the curriculum. Results from the survey showed only two demonstrated significant differences between boys and girls, favoring girls talking more with friends and family about CS and boys believing that computer scientists make a difference in the world. Even for these two items, the differences were of marginal significance and that significance would not survive correction for multiple comparisons. Follow-up, semi-structured interviews with 18 students painted a different picture. Girls displayed decreased interest in CS compared to boys with regard to self-efficacy and overall identification with the discipline. These differences highlight the importance of early intervention programs in leveraging the strengths and interests of participating girls. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for CS educators and curriculum designers on better engaging girls in the discipline.