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1. All the Pieces Matter: The Relationship of Momentary Self-efficacy and Affective Experiences with CS1 Achievement and Interest in Computing

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3446871.3469740  

   Lishinski, Alex; Rosenberg, Joshua (August 2021, Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research)

   Ko, A. K. (Ed.)

   There are significant participation gaps in computing, and the way to address these participation gaps lies not simply in getting students from underrepresented groups into a CS1 classroom, but supporting students to pursue their interest in computing further beyond CS1. There are many factors that may influence students’ pursuit of computing beyond introductory courses, including their sense that they can do what CS courses require of them (their self-efficacy) and positive emotional experiences in CS courses. When interest has been addressed in computing education, research has treated it mostly as an outcome of particular pedagogical approaches or curricula; what has not been studied is how students’ longer-term interest develops through more granular experiences that students have as they begin to engage with computing. In this paper, we present the results of a study designed to investigate how students’ interest in computing develops as a product of their momentary self-efficacy and affective experiences. Using a methodology that is relatively uncommon to computer science education—the experience sampling method, which involves frequently asking students brief, unobtrusive questions about their experiences—we surveyed CS1 students every week over the course of a semester to capture the nuances of their experiences. 74 CS1 students responded 14-18 times over the course of a semester about their self-efficacy, frustration, and situational interest. With this data, we used a multivariate, multi-level statistical model that allowed us to estimate how students’ granular, momentary experiences (measured through the experience sampling method surveys) and initial interest, self-efficacy, and self-reported gender (measured through traditional surveys) relate to their longer-term interest and achievement in the course. We found that students’ momentary experiences have a significant impact on their interest in computing and course outcomes, even controlling for the self-efficacy and interest students reported at the beginning of the semester. We also found significant gender differences in students’ momentary experiences, however, these were reduced substantially when students’ self-efficacy was added to the model, suggesting that gender gaps could instead be self-efficacy gaps. These results suggest that students’ momentary experiences in CS1, how they experience the course week to week, have an impact on their longer-term interest and learning outcomes. Furthermore, we found that male and female students reported different experiences, suggesting that improving the CS1 experiences that students have could help to close gender-related participation gaps. In all, this study shows that the granular experiences students have in CS1 matter for key outcomes of interest to computing education researchers and educators and that the experience sampling method, more common in fields adjacent to computer science education, provides one way for researchers to integrate the experiences students have into our accounts of why students become interested in computing. 

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2. Developing Engineering for Social Impact Beliefs among Migratory High School Students Through a Culturally Responsive Engineering Design Activity

   Wells, Timothy; Verdín, Dina (June 2025, American Society for Engineering Education)

   Broadening participation in engineering needs to be different from filling the pipeline or national competitiveness. We should seek to empower students to use engineering knowledge and skills to create social change, address injustices, or develop problem-solving skills that can help transform lives. This study examined how migratory high school students developed beliefs about engineering’s capacity for social impact through participation in an activity where they learned how the engineering design process could be used to solve a need impacting agricultural workers. Specifically, we investigated how students' interest in engineering, their self-efficacy in applying engineering concepts, and the development of an identity as a future engineer influence the formation of their beliefs about their capacity to act purposefully and effectively using engineering practices. Migratory high school students represent an overlooked and underserved segment of students in U.S. schools. These students, often from Latinx backgrounds, remain underrepresented in engineering fields. To investigate the development of “engineering for social impact” among migratory high school students, we designed and implemented a culturally responsive and gamified engineering design activity. The activity aimed to connect engineering concepts to students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences while leveraging game-based learning elements to increase engagement. We administered pre- and post-surveys to measure changes in students’ engineering impact, interest, self-efficacy, and identity (n = 235). We used a multiple linear regression model to examine the relationships. Our results show that migratory students’ engineering interest and self-efficacy significantly supported the development of their belief that engineering could be a tool for social impact. Specifically, as students’ engineering interest increased, their perception that engineering could be used as a practice to address injustices significantly increased by 0.335 points. Similarly, as students’ engineering self-efficacy beliefs increased, that led to a significant increase of 0.346 points in their social impact beliefs. However, being recognized as someone who can do engineering (i.e., recognition beliefs) did not have a significant effect. The model explains approximately 46.7% of the variance in students’ beliefs about engineering as a tool for social impact. Our findings suggest that students’ engineering for social impact beliefs develop through experiences that enable them to see themselves as engineers and use engineering knowledge in meaningful ways. Our culturally responsive and gamified approach positively influenced students’ beliefs by fostering both interest and self-efficacy in engineering contexts. The results underscore the importance of creating learning environments and activities that not only spark interest in engineering but also build students’ confidence in their abilities to engage in engineering practices. For migratory Latinx high school students who face unique challenges in their educational journeys, cultivating engineering for social impact may be particularly crucial in garnering interest in the field. This study contributes to the growing body of research on the importance of connecting engineering to social and cultural context and provides insights into effective strategies for supporting underrepresented students in engineering. Future work should explore the longitudinal effects of such interventions and investigate additional factors that may influence the development of students’ social impact beliefs among migratory students. 

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3. Computing Resilient Identity Development and Maintenance of Black Americans who Earned a Ph.D. in Computing

   https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028648  

   Cummings, R.T; Lowens, B.M; Nelson, W; Gosha, K. (January 2019, Proceedings of the 2019 Frontiers in Education Conference)

   This Research Full Paper presents a qualitative interview and descriptive study on computing resilient identity development of African Americans who have earned a Ph.D. in a computing field. Low sense of belonging and self-efficacy contributes to low participation and performance of African Americans have lower participation and performance in computing as compared to their White and Asian counterparts. Computing identity including sense of belonging and self-efficacy contributes to this deficit. To increase African American successful representation in computing, resilience is explored to identify the support systems, challenges, and coping processes of African Americans who have earned a Ph.D. in computing. Indepth, semi-structured interviews of African American post-docs, faculty, and industry researchers in computing fields were implemented. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed with a hybrid inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis. Surveys were employed to document participants’ work resilience and personality to supplement the qualitative data. Results include the resilient identity development of participants by reciting background information, challenges and support systems in their respective employment, and how they react to such stressors and supports, and the productive they are while persevering. Findings from this work can be used to improve academia and industry conditions for African American professionals and to identify resources that were suggested to be pivotal in participants’ resilient identity development within the computing field. This paper is in conjunction with other papers in an extended case study on resilient identity development in African American computer scientists. 

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4. A Qualitative Investigation on the Effectiveness of a Computing Identity Development Emailing List for African American Computer Scientists.

   https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028570  

   Nelson, W; Cummings, R. T; Gosha, K. (January 2019, IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference)

   This Research Full Paper presents a qualitative interview study on the effectiveness of a computing identity development listserv. The demand for diverse computing careers increases, yet African Americans continue to participate and succeed in computing fields proportionately less than their White and Asian counterparts. An individual’s computing identity can influence their performance and willingness to participate. The African American PhDs in Computer Science Listserv is an email listserv created to increase and maintain members’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and resilience in computing. Semistructured interviews of graduate student, faculty, and industry professional members were conducted to investigate how effective the listserv was at increasing and maintaining computing identity. Findings include decision making processes for joining, duration and dosage of interaction members partake, maintenance of computing resilience, members’ self-reflection, willingness to seek help, and attitudes towards computing. Recommendations were made about the listserv and if other African Americans in computing should join. Findings can be used to develop new approaches to supporting the computing identities of underrepresented groups. This paper is in conjunction with other papers in an extended case study on resilient identity development in African American computer scientists. 

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5. How Near Peer Mentoring Affects Middle School Mentees

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3159450.3159525  

   Clarke-Midura, Jody; Poole, Frederick; Pantic, Katarina; Hamilton, Megan; Sun, Chongning; Allan, Vicki (February 2018, SIGCSE '18: Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education)

   In response to the national demand to increase participation in CS, we argue that youth’s interest in computer science (CS) can be sparked by providing them with role models who are relatable and who resonate with their identities. To that end, we developed a mentoring model in which we train high schoolers to be near-peer mentors for middle schoolers learning to program in summer camps. In this paper, we present results from a mixed-methods study where we examined the relationship between mentor relatability and middle school campers’ self-efficacy and interest in CS. Pre- and post-surveys were used to measure campers’ affective outcomes around computing and mentor relatability. In addition, interviews and observations were used to illustrate the mechanisms that led to change in affect. Our findings suggest that mentor relatability is a significant predictor of campers’ self-efficacy and interest in CS. Results from the qualitative data further exemplify how mentor relatability was perceived and manifested in the camps. 

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