Identifying Gender Differences in Undergraduate Computer Science Students: Women Aren't So Different

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: Contemporary Topics in Computer Science Education Research

Abstract

STEM employment is growing at twice the rate of other occupations, with computer-related fields demonstrating the greatest growth. Yet, as the need for talent grows, the proportion of computer-related baccalaureates awarded to women declined from 28% in 2000 to 18% in 2013. As part of an NSF-sponsored project, we examined gender differences as a first step to explaining the low numbers of female Computer Science (CS) graduates. Our survey of 393 CS undergraduates found no significant differences in psychological traits like self-esteem and self-efficacy, but more women reported high stress. The data pointed to possible differences only in student-faculty engagement, so future work will investigate other external variables that may help explain why CS is losing talented women.

Authors

• Carl Siebert, Boise State University

• Kathleen Mullen, Boise State University

• Noah Salzman, Boise State University