Predictors of Female and Male Computer Science Students' Grades
This study investigated gender differences in predictors of Computer Science (CS) grades with the goal of assembling a profile of CS majors who do well in their courses. Understanding what contributes to high performance in CS courses can aid in our efforts to recruit and retain CS majors in general, and women, in particular. However, at this point we know very little about what contributes to good course performance in CS. The present study was conducted to remedy this gap in research.
This research is grounded in Eccles’ classic model predicting educational and career choices and success, which uses an expectancy x value framework (Eccles, Barber, & Jozefowicz, 1999). According to the model, social psychological variables such as stereotypes and classroom experiences affect expectancies of success. People’s values affect course selection and are influenced by stereotypes and role models. Researchers have not examined whether these social psychological variables affect academic success in CS courses and whether they affect male and female students equally.
All participants were students at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. A total of 112 CS majors (23 females, 89 males) participated. Participants filled out questionnaires assessing career goals and values, stereotypes about CS, computer confidence, experience with computers, role models, personality, stress, and attitudes towards CS courses and instructors. I received permission to access their college transcripts. I conducted multiple regression analyses where gender, students’ responses on the surveys (predictor variables), and the statistical interaction of gender and students’ responses were used to predict students’ grades in their current CS class.
This research found that oftentimes what is beneficial for female majors also aids males’ performance. The profile of the student who does well in CS courses includes being intrinsically motivated, showing an interest in computers at an early age, being emotionally healthy, but not nurturing, and experiencing little stress. Males and female majors alike thrived when they had excellent instructors using good pedagogical practices: They excelled when they experienced a personal atmosphere in their CS courses, did not feel overwhelmed by the work, did not find the class difficult, did not feel tense about their assignments, and had an instructor who was sensitive to their needs, had realistic expectations and assumptions, didn’t talk down to students, and delivered easy-to-understand lectures, gave fair exams, encouraged teamwork, and inspired them to want to take more CS classes. The fact that instructor variables strongly related to course success in CS for males and females underscores that good pedagogical practices are paramount to attracting and retaining all students in CS. Although this is likely true for students in all majors, given the difficulty level of CS and high expectations of commitment to the major with long hours spent in front of a computer, instructor variables may be even more important for the success of CS students. Several predictors were gender-specific. The typical female major with high CS grades had positive attitudes towards CS, had had female computer instructors in middle school, felt interconnected with others, felt that peers in CS are not cliquish, and perceived no gender discrimination in the department. Overall, female majors’ grades could be predicted more accurately than males’. Interestingly, previous computer experience was not related to CS grades. This knowledge can be harnessed to provide an optimal environment for all students, especially females, to enhance their CS course performance, and ultimately increase retention in the major.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (EIA-0089957).
Author: Sylvia Beyer; Sylvia.Beyer@uwp.edu
Article Link: http://www.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,425125ee795ed2f6,1614a9e84ae23b44.html