Computing! Shifting the Paradigm by Describing Female's Attitudes Towards Computing

Abstract

The careers of the 21st Century influence every aspect of society's workforce and contribute to occupations found within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pathways. While the growth of the number of technical occupations is increasing; the number of females studying or starting careers in computer science is decreasing. The decline of females in computer science career fields has serious consequences for their education and careers in technology fields. The ability to provide material that has deep meaning for females is the key to creating a curriculum that appeals to female students. One key to increasing enrollment into computer science careers and majors at college is by making the introductory courses more enjoyable for students. The students' perception of themselves and computer science education or career choice are often that it is not an attainable degree for them as females. The representation of females into computer science careers is relatively low and decreasing at an alarming rate. Career exploration is necessary for both the student and the parent to provide career benefits along with positive work outcomes for the student involved. The findings showed that adult and high school females had a higher confidence level with computing, which indicated they are probably more confident using computers even though the scores indicated uncertainty about favoring computers. The final conclusion was female students were uncertain or not sure about their attitudes toward computing.KEYWORDS: STEM, MNTC, IT, career exploration, helicopter parent, mentor, gender specific, Likert-type scale