Introduce computer science to girls in elementary school, before gender-interest stereotypes take root¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The authors' developmental findings motivate a timing recommendation: because children endorse gender-interest stereotypes about engineering by first grade and about computer science by third grade, and these links to motivation persist through high school, they conclude that "elementary school may be a particularly opportune time to introduce computer science to young girls, before stereotype endorsements firmly take root". Educators should pair early CS exposure with activities designed to counteract interest stereotypes.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Programs must reach students before stereotype endorsement consolidates, ideally in elementary grades

Constraints¶

• The underlying data are cross-sectional; the authors note longitudinal studies are needed to track how endorsement and its links to motivation change within individuals

Target Learners¶

• Girls in elementary school (as young as age six / first grade)

Target Learning Goals¶

• Interest and participation in computer science and engineering
• Educational equity in STEM

Claims¶

• Gender-interest stereotypes favoring boys in computer science and engineering are endorsed across grades 1–12 and across racial/ethnic groups in a diverse sample [+M]
• Children in grades 3–7 endorse gender-interest stereotypes favoring boys in computer science, with boys endorsing more strongly than girls [+W]
• Gender-interest stereotypes create a gender gap in interest in a computer science activity: girls, but not boys, show lower interest when the stereotype is present [+M]

Related Strategies¶

• Avoid labeling activities with gender-interest stereotypes; describe activities as equally interesting to girls and boys

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Master, A., Meltzoff, A. N., & Cheryan, S. (2021). Gender stereotypes about interests start early and cause gender disparities in computer science and engineering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(48), e2100030118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100030118