Communications of the ACM
England's Computing Curriculum Could be Failing to Engage Girls
Parents of girls are less likely to talk to them about jobs in computer science than the parents of boys.
U.K. researchers at King's College London and the University of Reading say their study of 4,983 secondary school students in the U.K. indicates the current educational system is widening the gender gap in the computer science workforce and failing to engage underrepresented students.
The study is published in the International Journal of Science Education.
"While digital skills are increasingly important for future jobs and the economy, the current GCSE is focused on computer science and developing programming skills, and this seems to deter some young people, in particular girls, from taking up the subject," says principal investigator Peter Kemp, senior lecturer at King's College London.
The researchers call for the curriculum to be broadened to include creative computing education to attract more students interested in obtaining digital skills but who view the current curriculum as irrelevant.
From King's College London
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