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Female Under-Representation in Computing Education and Industry - a Survey of Issues and Interventions

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Female Under-Representation in Computing Education and Industry - a Survey of Issues and Interventions (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 5, No. 10, 2014 Female Under-Representation in Computing Education and Industry - A Survey of Issues and Interventions Joseph Osunde, Gill Windall, Professor Liz Bacon and Professor Lachlan Mackinnon Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK Abstract—This survey paper examines the issue of female Mathematics (STEM) subjects. The second section reviews under-representation in computing education and industry, the key factors which have been proffered as potential causes which has been shown from empirical studies to be a problem for for the under-representation of females in computing over two decades. While various measures and intervention education and industry. This section will further review the strategies have been implemented to increase the interest of girls key arguments and associated theories. in computing education and industry, the level of success has been discouraging. The key intervention strategies implemented which have been employed in an attempt to reverse this trend are The primary contribution of this paper is to provide an discussed in the third section of the article. A review of these analysis of the extensive research work in this area. It outlines strategies provides an opportunity to explore the breadth of the progressive decline in female representation in computing current solutions and identify areas for further investigation. education. It also presents the key arguments that attempt to explain the decline and intervention strategies. We conclude that II. EVIDENCE OF THE PROBLEM there is a need to further explore strategies that will encourage young female learners to interact more with computer A. Computing Education and Industry educational games. The evidence of the problem will be reviewed from both the education and industry perspective. This will provide a Keywords—Female under-representation; Structural factors; contextual insight into the nature of the problem. An analysis Biological factors; Socio-cultural factors; User Interaction of research work on the participation rates of females in computing education and careers indicate that the level is low I. INTRODUCTION in many parts of the world [33], [72].This trend has a history Female under-representation in computing education and dating back to the early 1980s. Prior to this time there was a industry is a well-known issue. A colossal amount of literature healthy level of female representation in both computing exists on this topical issue and solutions have been proposed education and industry. In 1960, 65% of computer to solve this problem. A number of these proposals have been programmers in the United States of America (USA) were implemented over the years in an attempt to address this women and historically women have been highly influential in problem. the field of computing [36]. This paper focuses on the under-representation of females Empirical studies have shown that the numbers of females in computing education and industry. It does not include in computer science education and careers decrease related subjects and careers such as Information Technology progressively from the early stages of secondary education and Science. Denning et al. [20] define the discipline of until later stages of education [21], [57]. The key factors that computing as ―the systematic study of algorithmic processes have been forwarded as potential explanations for this trend that describe and transform information: their theory, analysis, will be explored further in this paper. The progressive decline design, efficiency, implementation and application‖. The of females in computing education from secondary education discipline fundamentally investigates systems and how they stage leading to tertiary education is described by Gurer and can be automated. This discipline includes professions in Camp as ―the pipeline shrinkage problem‖ [36]. This pipeline artificial intelligence, computer engineering, human-computer effect has been identified as a worldwide issue as data interaction, robotics etc. Information technology is the collected from many parts of the world presents a broadly convergence of computing, information content and similar picture although there are some exceptions in countries telecommunications. The term ―computing education and such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, where the female industry‖ in this paper refers to computer science as a subject representation in computing education is 50% and above [33]. and computer science careers. In the United Kingdom (UK) statistics from the Higher The first section of this paper presents the evidence of the Education Statistics Agency, indicates that the proportion of problem in education and industry including a comparison of female computer science undergraduates was 18% as at 2011 trends in other Science, Technology, Engineering and [40]. This percentage has reduced significantly from 28% in 16 | P a g e www.ijacsa.thesai.org (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 5, No. 10, 2014 1990 as indicated by [78]. This demonstrates the progressive progressive decline from 12% in 2004 to 8% in 2011 decline in the representation of females in computing [28],[29]. education over the years. Unsurprisingly, the decline in education correlates with the A similar picture is presented in the USA in a related study female under-representation in the computing industry in spite by [72], where it was shown that the share of bachelors‘ of the improving employment opportunities in this field. degrees awarded in the USA to females in the past two Employment statistics indicate increased employment decades increased in almost all major science and engineering opportunities in the industry. Lazowska [48] commented fields except in computing. Historically, science and ―among all occupations in all fields of science and engineering has suffered from female under-representation engineering, computing occupations are projected to account and specific measures have been implemented to reduce the for nearly 60% of all job growth between now and 2018‖. effect. This projection of opportunities is also echoed by the UK department for Business Innovation and Skills. The In another extensive study of the participation level of department forecasts that the computing industry is set to females in computing education by Galpin, it was shown that grow at four times the rate of other professions [8]. However, this trend pervades Western Europe, Southern Europe, The UK Resource Centre (UKRC) indicated that as at 2008, Scandinavia and Africa [33]. Galpin summarized the findings the representation of women in the computing industry was in 36 countries at tertiary education level as ―generally, only 14.4% [70]. participation is low – most countries fall in the 10-40% range with a few below 10% and a few above 40%‖. Computer science as a subject is a fundamental source of talent for the technology sector and it is equally of immense The under-representation of females in computing economic value [28]. The progressive drop-off in the uptake education contrasts with the level of their representation and of computing degrees especially amongst females has been achievement in other subject areas as shown by the European identified as a great concern for education and industry. Key Data on Education in 2009. It clearly presents a trend of a generally higher level of female achievement in education. B. Comparative trend with other STEM subjects and jobs The number of women who gained upper secondary Education and employment in the STEM subjects has been qualifications was greater than the corresponding number of plagued by female under-representation for decades and the men in all European countries, the only exception being statistical evidence presents a grim picture of the situation. Turkey. Over the years, the representation of females in STEM careers Furthermore, empirical data on all countries of the EU-27 and subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, shows that 60% of tertiary education graduates are women. In Computer Science and Technology has been poor. The USA some member states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Economic and Statistics Administration (ESA) indicated that Portugal), the number of women undergraduates outnumber 40% of men with STEM degrees work in STEM jobs men by the ratio 2:1. During the period 2002-2006, there were compared to 26% of women. Consequently, the male approximately three women tertiary education graduates for workforce in STEM is more than twice the number of females, every two men and this proportion was relatively stable in with a large number of female STEM graduates working in most member states [46]. A similar picture is presented by the education or healthcare. Within the STEM jobs, computing UK Royal Society [66] and in the US where the number of and mathematics jobs account for close to 47% of all STEM female tertiary education graduates increased generally except employment. Women representation has varied over time in computing education; where there has been a consistent across the STEM occupations, with the female share in decrease in the awards of Bachelor‘s degrees from 18% in computing and mathematics declining over the years as their 1993/1994 to 12% in 2006/2007. share has risen in other STEM occupations [27]. A similar situation to that in the US exists in the UK, with only 13% of There
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