"I Know a Lot More Boys That Are Interested in Doing Stuff Like That": Gendered Perceptions of Computational Construction Kits

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Fourteen
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Explorations of Multimodal Practices and Pedagogies (Table 16)

Abstract

This paper examines the gendered perceptions of computational construction kits (CCK) among middle school youth. Applying a mixed methods approach, we asked youth to sort 20 components of arts and CCKs, considering the extent to which they perceived each to be masculine or feminine, and interviewed them about the rationale for their choosing. We found that students generally sorted kits as gender neutral, or for everyone, but then contradicted that stance through culturally gendered rationale during interviews. This study has implications for the design of CCK, curricula, and teaching toward allowing students to develop their identities while learning programming, contributing to diminishing the gender gap and the male-focused culture of computer science education.

Authors

• Santiago Ojeda-Ramirez, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Lora Cawelti, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Joey Huang, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author

• Kimberly M. Telfer-Radzat, Sycamore Creek Community Charter School
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kylie A. Peppler, University of California - Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author