Abstract
The under-representation of w omen in computer science education courses is well documented, and the social and commercial need to address this is widely recognised. Previous literature offers some explanation for this gender imbalance, but there has been limited qualitative data to provide an in-depth understanding of existing quantitative findings. This study explores the lived experiences of female computer science students and how they experience the male dominated learning environment. Female computer science students from eight universities were interviewed (n = 23) and data were analysed using template analysis. Whilst these women have not been troubled by their sense of fit at university, a combination of stereotypical assumptions of male superiority in this field, and a masculine, agentic learning environment, has left them feeling less technologically capable and less motivated. The findings are discussed in terms of Cheryan et al.’s tripartite model for women’s participation in STEM (2017) and we recommend that computer science departments should consider feminist pedagogy to ensure that all learners can be well supported.
Highlights
Women are in short supply in the computer science classroom
Using Cheryan et al.’s model as an a priori coding template, this study aims to explore the lived experiences of female computer science students and find out how the three elements of the masculine culture, belonging and computer self-efficacy, are experienced by them
Cheryan et al.’s (2017) framework explaining the reasons for the under-representation of women in pSTEM fields identified three themes: a masculine culture leading to a lack of identity fit, a lack of early exposure to the subject, and the lower selfefficacy of women
Summary
Women are in short supply in the computer science classroom. In the UK in 2017, women or girls made up 21% of secondary school pupils (aged 11- 16), 14.5% of college level students (aged 16–18), and 19% of university undergraduates studying computer science (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2018; Joint Council for1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)Education and Information TechnologiesQualifications, 2018). In the UK in 2017, women or girls made up 21% of secondary school pupils (aged 11- 16), 14.5% of college level students (aged 16–18), and 19% of university undergraduates studying computer science The trend continues beyond education and into the technology industry: only 12% of British software engineers are female (Office for National Statistics, 2019) and this proportion is in decline (WISE, 2017). There have been numerous attempts by the UK government, schools and the industry to improve the representation of women in STEM-related fields (science, technology, engineering and maths) more generally, but they have had limited success, within the field of technology. The proportion of women studying and working in the field has not increased, and as Sinclair and Kalvala (2015) state, “large amounts of money are still being spent on getting it totally wrong” (p. 107)
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