Supporting women’s persistence in computing and technology

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate what factors influence women’s meaningful and equitable persistence in computing and technology fields. It draws on theories of learning and equity from the learning sciences to inform the understanding of women’s underrepresentation in computing as it investigates young women who showed an interest in computing in high school and followed-up with them in their college and careers.Design/methodology/approachThe mixed-methods approach compares data from quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups and interviews. The sample comes from database of 1,500 young women who expressed interest in computing by applying for an award for high schoolers. These women were surveyed in 2013 and then again in 2016, with 511 women identifying themselves as high schoolers in 2013 and then having graduated and pursued college or careers in the second survey. The authors also conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups with 90 women from the same sample.FindingsThe findings show that multiple factors influence women’s persistence in computing, but the best predictor of women’s persistence is access to early computing and programming opportunities. However, access and opportunities must be evaluated within broader social and contextual factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation is that the authors measure women’s persistence in computing according to their chosen major or profession. This study does not measure the impact of computational thinking in women’s everyday lives.Practical implicationsEducators and policymakers should consider efforts to make Computer Science-for-All a reality.Originality/valueFew longitudinal studies of a large sample of women exist that follow women interested in computing from high school into college and careers particularly from a critical educational equity perspective.