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Why so few Girls in Computer Science? Study answers

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Kids as young as six years old develop prejudices that girls are less interested in computer science and engineering than boys – stereotypes that can last into teen years and contribute to a gender gap in STEM college courses and persons working.

A new study from the University of Houston and the University of Washington, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigates the gender-based beliefs that young children and teens have about their interest in STEM fields.

According to the report, the majority of children feel that girls are less interested in computer science and engineering than boys.

“Gender-interest stereotypes that STEM is for boys begins in grade school, and by the time they reach high school, many girls have made their decision not to pursue degrees in computer science and engineering because they feel they don’t belong,” says Allison Master – the lead author of the study.

The PNAS study used a series of surveys and controlled experiments to capture the attitudes of a racially varied sample of children and teenagers in grades 1 through 12.

Researchers intended to investigate how gender-based stereotypes about who enjoys — not just who is “good” at — computer science and engineering can affect a child’s sense of belonging and willingness to engage, drawing on previous research of ability stereotypes.

According to studies, such information can have a long-term impact on a young person’s motivation and may dissuade them from trying a new activity or enrolling in a class.

Women are underrepresented in some popular and profitable STEM careers, according to national statistics as recently as 2019. According to the US Census Bureau, just around 25% of computer scientists and 15% of engineers are women.

Researchers polled almost 2,200 children and teens in the first two investigations to measure their attitudes toward computer science and engineering. The questionnaires included terms and phrases that the students were already familiar with from school, such as “computer coding” for computer science and “designing and creating large structures such as roads and bridges” for engineering.

Researchers discovered that slightly over half of youngsters (51%) believe that girls are less interested in computer science than boys, and nearly two-thirds (63%) feel that girls are less interested in engineering. In contrast, 14% of youngsters claimed that girls are more interested in computer science than boys, and 9% said that girls are more interested in engineering.

Following lab investigations, a smaller group of children were given the option of choosing between two alternative activities. The findings showed that when girls were told boys were more interested in a computer science activity than females (35% chose the activity), they were significantly less interested in it than when they were told boys and girls were equally interested in it (65% of girls chose that activity).

According to co-author Andrew Meltzoff, the surveys highlighted the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes around interest in computer science and engineering, but the intended experiments showed how stereotypes can alter a sense of belonging, which can influence motivation.

“The large surveys told us that the kids had absorbed the cultural stereotype that girls are less interested in computer science and engineering. In the experiments we zeroed in on causal mechanisms and consequences of stereotypes,” says Meltzoff, a professor of psychology at the UW.

“We discovered that labeling an activity in a stereotyped way influenced children’s interest in it and their willingness to take it home—the mere presence of the stereotype influenced kids in dramatic ways. This brought home to us the pernicious effect of stereotypes on children and teens”

This is critical, said Sapna Cheryan, a psychology professor at the University of Washington and co-author, because fewer females would pursue careers in computer science or engineering in high school and beyond if they don’t feel included. Gender discrepancies in STEM sectors and a widening income gap can result from this.

”Current gender disparities in computer science and engineering careers are troubling because these careers are lucrative, high status, and influence so many aspects of our daily lives.”

“The dearth of gender and racial diversity in these fields may be one of the reasons why many products and services have had negative consequences for women and people of color,” Cheryan said.

Providing high-quality computer science and engineering activities in primary school — and encouraging female participation — can help teachers and parents combat prejudices.

Image Credit: iStock

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