Female Computer Science Students Research Articles

Problemas enfrentados por alunas de graduação em ciência da computação: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract This systematic literature review on the issues faced by female computer science undergraduates sought to examine the reported reasons for female evasion from computer science major. A full range of indexed journals was surveyed using the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Springer databases. Of the 818 articles retrieved from the digital libraries, only 24 papers were selected for data extraction. The several issues cited as reasons for female evasion from computer science undergraduate courses were divided into six major categories and described. Initiatives that have been implemented to minimize the dropout rate among undergraduate computer science female students were also addressed. Pointing out the main issues faced by female computer science students and identifying the limitations of the initiatives taken to solve them is the first step for future work, proposing good ways around them and outlining specific solutions for the classroom, making education professionals and even classmates aware of these problem. Attention to these issues may pique the researchers’ interest, while pursuing a graduate STEM degree, in working to make the experience of female undergraduate students more positive, thus decreasing their chances of evasion. Moreover, based on the results of this research, it is possible to make theory-based academic, managerial and administrative decisions concerning gender issues.

Female computer science students: A qualitative exploration of women\u2019s experiences studying computer science at university in the UK

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.

The Association Between Female Students’ Computer Science Education and STEM Major Selection: Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling

Concerning the underrepresentation of female students in computer science (CS) classes at the K-12 level and math-intensive STEM fields, this study investigated the relationship between female students earning less credits in CS courses during high school and their STEM major choices. Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school graduates from the restricted data of the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 which were collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics. The multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that (a) female students’ lower frequency of taking CS courses was associated significantly with their underrepresentation in STEM fields, (b) earning less credits in CS courses was a stronger factor for female students’ underrepresentation in STEM fields compared to the well-documented predictors for STEM major choice—math self-efficacy and math scores on the ACT, and (c) no significant difference in ACT math scores emerged between male and female students, which challenges the dominant view that male students’ greater math aptitude causes the persistent gender gap that leads to women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields. The study suggests that integrating CS in traditional classrooms as well as promoting a rigorous CS curriculum at the secondary level would be an effective strategy to increase female participation in math-intensive STEM fields.

Factors Influencing Women’s Decision to Study Computer Science: Is It Context Dependent?

Aim/Purpose: Our research goal was to examine the factors that motivate women to enroll in Computer Science (CS) courses in order to better understand the small number of women in the field of CS. Background: This work is in line with the growing interest in better understanding the problem of the underrepresentation of women in the field of CS. Methodology: We focused on a college that differs in its high numbers of female CS students. The student population there consists mostly of religious Jews; some of them are Haredi, who, because of their unique lifestyle, are expected to be the breadwinners in their family. Following group interviews with 18 students, a questionnaire was administered to all the female students and 449 of them responded. We analyzed it statistically. We compared the responses of the Haredi and non-Haredi students. Contribution: The main contribution of this work lies in the idea that studying the factors underlying women’s presence in a CS program in unique communities and cultures, where women are equally represented in the field, might shed light on the nature of this phenomenon, especially whether it is universal or confined to the surrounding culture. Findings: There were significant differences between the Haredi and non-Haredi women regarding the importance they attributed to different factors. Haredi women resemble, regarding some social and economic variables, women in developing countries, but differ in others. The non-Haredi women are more akin to Western women, yet they did not completely overlap. Both groups value their family and career as the most important factors in their lives. These factors unify women in the West and in developing countries, though with different outcomes. In the West, it deters women from studying CS, whereas in Israel and in Malaysia, other factors can overcome this barrier. Both groups attributed low importance to the masculine image of CS, found important in the West. Hence, our findings support the hypothesis that women’s participation in the field of CS is culturally dependent. Recommendations for Practitioners: It is important to learn about the culture within which women operate in order to attract more women to CS. Recommendations for Researchers: Future work is required to examine other loci where women are underrepre-sented in CS, as well as how the insights obtained in this study can be utilized to decrease women’s underrepresentation in other loci. Impact on Society: Women's underrepresentation in CS is an important topic for both economic and social justice reasons. It raises questions regarding fairness and equality. In the CS field the gender pay gaps are smaller than in other professional areas. Thus, resolving the underrepresentation of women in CS will serve as a means to decrease the social gender gap in other areas.

Equal But Not Equitable: Self-Reported Data Obscures Gendered Differences in Project Teams

Contribution: This paper argues for a shift in how students’ team project experiences are assessed. Findings from this paper suggest that it is not enough to consider student-reported data in assessing team dynamics; hidden gendered behavior may be impacting students in ways that students do not realize or report. Background: Although the number of women in engineering is rising, difficulties still exist for female students in electrical engineering and computer science, particularly in team projects. Male and female students may have very different project experiences, due to differing levels of confidence/self-efficacy, difficult team dynamics, or inequitable task division. Research Questions: This paper aimed to elucidate what differences exist in the project experience between male and female students, considering self-reported measures (engineering confidence/self-efficacy, time spent on task, and team satisfaction) and observational study. Methodology: Students completed pre/post-project surveys, weekly logs, and post-project interviews to report and discuss their engineering confidence/self-efficacy, project task selection, and team satisfaction. This paper reports a case study of one student team, observed by a researcher throughout the project course. Findings: While student-reported data implied a lack of gender division (male and female students had the same levels of confidence, completed the same project tasks, and were similarly satisfied with their teams), the observational study implied that the student-reported data may not be telling the whole story. Given the difficult team dynamics observed in the student team (but not reported by students), findings suggest that difficult gender dynamics may go unrecognized by students.

Social Factors Influence on Career Choices for Female Computer Science Students

The low and shrinking numbers of female students studying computer science is a well-known problem in most of the western countries. The dominant perception about computer science field considered it as a masculine domain. In contrast, this study was performed in the IT department where female students are dominant compared to male students. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of different factors on female students in choosing a career in the IT field. A survey was deployed to collect responses of female students in the IT department. The results show that female students are interested in computer science stream and nullify the dominant perception of computer science as a masculine domain. They want to learn technology, become an active member of the digital native world, and interested in coding literacy.

An examination of belongingness and confidence among female computer science students

Feelings of isolation as one of few women in her undergraduate computer science program motivated lead author Pooja Sankar to create Piazza, a free discussion tool for STEM students. Piazza researchers recently completed an exhaustive study on more than 1 million student enrollments over a two-year period and found that feelings of isolation, as exhibited by a measurable gap in willingness to ask and answer course-related questions openly, persist among many female computer science and STEM students today. Female STEM students studied were both less likely to answer course-related questions and more likely to use an anonymity tool than their male peers. Undergraduate female students studying humanities, social sciences and business did not demonstrate the same gap. This paper reviews the findings of the study as well as related research both on the causes of isolation in the classroom as well as potential solutions to address it.

Female challenges in acquiring computer education at the federal Polytechnic, Idah

Computer education and application of Computer skills in the knowledge-based society is ever increasing. It is in recognition of this that this study determined the challenges of female students in acquisition of Computer education using the Federal Polytechnic, Idah as a case study. The data were obtained from 72 female Computer science students through self-completion questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that the respondents faced some challenges.These challenges were poor academic background, molestation of female students, negative perception of formal computer education, gender discrimination, among others. To ameliorate these challenges, thestudy, recommended introduction of computer science in all primary/secondary schools, campaign against female molestation, and award of scholarship to female computer science students among others.

Where are the women computer science students

This paper discusses the ongoing decline in female students in computer science (CS) and related fields. A questionnaire was developed and used to gather information from current female computer sc...

Retention in Computer Science Course

Throughout its history, careers in fields related to Computer Science (CS) have expanded. However, there have been periods, like the year 2000 following the ’dot-com bust’ when skilled people had to change employers, invoking negative publicity. The effect of this on enrollment in CS education was dramatic and lasted until 2007. According to Computing Research Association (CRA), there was an amazing increase in CS enrollment in 2008. Total enrollment per department by majors and pre-majors in U.S. CS programs is up 6.2% in 2008, and if only majors are considered, the increase is 8.1% [1]. CS student data are similar in Canadian schools [1]. There is a significant increase in number of enrollments in Computer Science education since 2008 [1]. The vital next step is to retain the enrolled students in Computer Science courses. Keeping that in mind, our research has combined the understanding of retention issues with some action strategies. This paper describes a first year CS course with this objective, initial finding and recommends some strategies to help students to successfully complete the course. In this research, we seek the clear indicators of withdrawal from or unsuccessful completion of a first year CS course. We suggest strategies to reduce the withdrawal rate and provide students with greater confidence in their ability to succeed. Our recommendations are for example, adapting the curriculum to the learners expectations i.e., making early assignments easier and less intimidating. Overall, the number of female students in computer science is low [2] and becomes diminished when they withdraw from the courses. Our suggestion is designating support for female students through the course.

The effect of using problem-solving software tutors on the self-confidence of female students

We examined whether using problem-solving software tutors in Computer Science I can help improve the self-confidence of female students. We analyzed the data collected by five software tutors in spring 2006. We found that 1) the self-confidence of female Computer Science I students before using the software tutors was in many cases lower than that of male students, as has been stated in prior literature; 2) Using problem-solving software tutors improved the self-confidence of female students to be on par with that of male students when female students started with lower prior self-confidence. Since researchers have suggested that self-confidence is one of the factors contributing to the shrinking pipeline, problem-solving software tutors can be used to improve the retention of female students in Computer Science.

Changes in CS students' sttitudes towards CS over time

Few women major in Computer Science (CS), which creates a serious bottleneck of women qualified to enter into the CS workforce. To address this bottleneck, this study examines gender issues in CS education. We assessed whether gender differences in CS students' stereotypes of CS and attitudes towards CS classes and the CS program remain stable from one semester to the next. We found that gender differences in CS students are not temporally stable and conclude that one-time assessments of gender differences may lead to erroneous conclusions. We also found that concerns about future work-family conflicts and gender issues in the CS program (e.g., female CS students feeling that they are not being taken as seriously as male CS students) emerged as important concerns for female CS students.0The implications of these findings for increasing the representation of women in CS are discussed.

Pair-programming helps female computer science students

Pair-programming has been found to be very beneficial in educational settings. Students who pair in their introductory programming course are more confident, have greater course completion and pass rates, and are more likely to persist in computer-related majors. Although pairing helps all students, we believe that it is particularly beneficial for women because it addresses several significant factors that limit women's participation in computer science. We provide reasons for our belief that pair-programming helps women persist in these majors. We also repeat, with special emphasis on the impact on women, some details published elsewhere regarding our experiments on pair-programming with college and university students. Additionally, we provide new data that supports our original findings.

Retaining women in CS with accessible role models

The female role models presented to young women are often unusual individuals who have overcome tremendous social and political obstacles to pursue outstanding careers in mathematics and science. We believe that young women presented with these exceptional role models may actually have their self-confidence undermined because they cannot readily identify with them. At the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UW-Parkside), we are implementing a project that will employ our own upper-level female computer science (CS) students as half of our laboratory staff in a CS laboratory that is maintained and administrated by our CS students. In this laboratory, women will be as much in control as much as their male counterparts. This non-threatening environment, where women play a prominent role, will communicate to our beginning female students that these roles are realistic and obtainable by them in their college life and in the workplace. We plan to offer our introductory CS sequence to area high school students so that high school girls can benefit from this same experience.

Gender imbalance in computer science programs, etiology and amelioration (panel)

As a female computer science educator, I've watched with growing alarm the drop in enrollment in our Computer Science programs from a ratio of 1:1 of males and females in 1983, to a current ratio of 5:1. The lack of interest of female students in Computer Science is still a very serious problem. As educators we should all be watching our own campus and addressing this problem. The panelists assembled from various institutions will address the issues of gender imbalance and relate their experiences in implementing solutions to counter this problem. Two of the panelist will discuss utilization of the World Wide Web addressing reasons for creating both Web sites. As long as this gender imbalance exists in our schools we need to continue our dialog to share and develop new ideas to encourage female participation in Computer Science Programs. The audience will be welcomed to participate in a larger group discussion.

On the retention of female computer science students

On the retention of female computer science students

Gender Effects in the Stereotyping of those with Different Kinds of Computing Experience

Stereotypes of male and female target figures who had experience of either computer programming, word processing or computer games were investigated. Male and female undergraduate respondents were asked to rate them as portrayed in brief descriptions, on the sixteen personality attributes previously used by Siann, Durndell, Macleod, and Glissov in an investigation of stereotypes of male and female computer science students [1]. As found previously, there was no evidence of negative stereotyping: few differences were found between the male and female target figures, and the pattern of ratings was similar for the three computer uses. The results indicated however, that irrespective of the sex of the target figure, stereotyping of the three uses differed according to the sex of the respondent. Females gave higher ratings on attributes reflecting autonomy and congeniality to the figures with programming experience, while males gave these the lowest ratings on the same attributes. The relationship between this finding, the previous computing experience of the males and possible future implications is discussed.

Raising the self confidence and self esteem of final year female students prior to job interviews

Published research and anecdotal evidence suggest that women may be disadvantaged when seeking employment. This paper describes a one day seminar on handling job interviews, conducted for female computer science students at the beginning of the final year of their undergraduate degree. Initial evaluations completed by the participants at the time that they participated in the seminar and a survey some six months later have been extremely positive. It appears that, if women are prepared for the interview process, they approach their first interviews with greater confidence and consequently are better equipped to deal with one of the most vital series of interactions that will occur in their lifetimes.

A comparison of male and female computer science students' attitudes toward computers

A comparison of male and female computer science students' attitudes toward computers