The computer science (CS) for All movement has brought increasing opportunities in middle and high school, and there is a growing body of research on how to increase students' interest and knowledge. But little attention is paid to the structural factors that support or undermine student persistence in CS during the transition to college, which is where the most vulnerable students leave the pathway [1], [2]. In this paper we will describe how our researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP) has built a cross-sector collaboration to align structures and supports across a local school district, community college, and Latinx youth-serving non-profit organization. This work is guided by the following research question: What factors help or hinder cross-sector collaborations from building structural supports for students to persist in Computer Information Systems (CIS)? Data include interviews of teachers and counselors, and notes from monthly RPP meetings including key stakeholders and designers of the pathway. Data analysis was guided by the absorptive capacity framework, which describes readiness to “value new information, assimilate it, and apply it in novel ways as part of organizational routines, policies and practice” [3]. The findings highlight key strategies that others can use to foster cross-sector partnerships that build sustainable, structural supports for student persistence in CS, including having a broker help translate organizational tensions and identify points of opportunities to create authentic engagement opportunities.
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Computing Education Pathways from High School to Community College: What Matters to Students?
Schools are increasingly offering opportunities for students to take classes in computer and information sciences, but the numbers and diversity of students who enroll and persist are not always representative of a school's student population. To meet these goals, students' needs and interests must be addressed. This paper will describe what matters for students in high school and community college computing classes. The data include interviews with 30 students (73% Latinx), surveys from 58 students (77% Latinx) and interviews with three counselors (2 college, 1 high school). The findings show that students will engage and persist in computing pathways when they: a) are project-based where those projects are hands-on and allow them to see the results of their work, b) create positive social connections and a sense of belonging, and c) create opportunities for learners to be active agents in their learning. Students will also enroll in computing classes to fulfill requirements for graduation or for a different major, but they are less likely to persist if they don't see the results of their work or have support and encouragement from teachers or counselors. The factors that are most important vary for high school and college students, and counselors are more likely to describe extrinsic sources of motivation. The findings are interpreted using self-determination theory, which provides a framework for understanding how students' sense of autonomy, competence, and connection influence their motivation to engage and persist in computing.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1837655
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10310862
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620613
