Centering minoritized high school students' perspectives from introductory Computer Science through 12th grade and beyond

尽管国家计算机科学(CS)在所有运动方面都取得了进展，但女性、有色人种学生和低收入学生的比例仍然偏低。先前的研究表明，计算机科学的学习应该是吸引人的、有意义的和与所有学生相关的。对于代表不足的年轻人来说尤其如此，他们可能需要额外的支持来培养对计算机的归属感和认同感。这个项目仔细研究了学生在高中时期如何以及为什么看待他们的计算机科学课程。调查人员将采访洛杉矶和密西西比州高中的小规模青年，以了解什么对他们的参与度、归属感和计算机能力有影响。这项工作还将研究代表性不足的学生如何从入门课程到更高级的计算课程表现良好或不坚持。这项研究将填补当前知识的两个重大空白。首先，在有关将公平置于计算机教育中心的讨论中，年轻人的观点大多被遗漏了。这项工作将特别放大小规模学生的声音。其次，这项研究将收集所需的纵向数据，说明在经历了新的高中课程后，对学生个人和教育道路的长期影响，包括探索计算机科学和高级计算机科学原理。研究人员将调查如何最好地支持少数族裔青年在CS领域有归属感。这项工作将揭示女性和色彩专业学生在计算机领域长期代表性不足的本质，将该领域推向这个问题的关键解决方案。该项目由CS for All：Research and RPPS计划资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Despite advances made by national Computer Science (CS) for All movements, women, students of color, and lower-income students are still underrepresented. Prior research has shown that computer science learning should be engaging, meaningful, and relevant for all students. This is especially true for underrepresented youth who may need additional support to develop a sense of belonging and identity with computing. This project looks closely at how and why students perceive their computer science courses during their high school years. The investigators will interview minoritized youth in Los Angeles and Mississippi high schools to learn what makes a difference for their engagement, sense of belonging, and agency with computing. The work will also study how underrepresented students do or don't persist from introductory to more advanced computing curricula.This research will fill two significant gaps in current knowledge. First, youth perspectives have mostly been missing from conversations regarding keeping equity at the center of computing education. This work will specifically amplify minoritized students' voices. Second, the research will collect needed longitudinal data regarding the longer-term impacts on students' personal and educational pathways following experiences with new high school curricula, including Exploring Computer Science and Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles. The researchers will investigate how minoritized youth can best be supported to feel a sense of belonging in CS fields. This work will shine a light on the nature of the persistent under-representation of women and Students of Color in computing, moving the field toward critical solutions to this problem. This project is funded by the CS for All: Research and RPPs program.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.