Closing the gender gap in ICT higher education: exploring women’s motivations in pursuing ICT education

Rapid development of digital technologies has stemmed profound changes in the society, positioning the ICT sector as a key driver and contributor. This sector, including education, is however characterized by a gender gap, which is problematic in the light of the increasing demand for digital competence and the ability to move toward a sustainable egalitarian society. In this study, we argue for a need to explore the concept of ICT in higher education. This involves assessing the success of educational programs in attracting women and exploring the perceptions of female students regarding their academic environment. With a specific focus on Sweden, through a survey involving 82 respondents, we provide evidence on motivations and perceptions of women regarding leading choices on pursuing ICT higher education. We propose a holistic approach to studying gender representation and inclusion in ICT higher education, with a focus on women’s perceptions, experiences, and suggestions

Factors influencing students' decisions to enrol in computing or engineering degrees : the impact of undertaking STEM-related activities prior to the university enrolments

Skills developed through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education have become essential in rapidly evolving industries. In Australia, occupations and jobs that require STEM knowledge and skills are expected to grow in the next years. However, there is a relatively low number of students undertaking STEM degrees compared to non-STEM degrees (Dobson, 2018). Therefore, increasing students’ participation in STEM education becomes and remains a national priority. The overarching aim of this study is to enhance students’ engagement and participation in STEM degrees, in particular, Computing and Engineering degrees, by gaining an in-depth understanding of the reasons that influence students’ enrolment decisions. Over the past years, extensive literary research has been conducted looking into students’ confidence and personal motivators (Bahar & Adiguzel, 2016), social persuasion from teachers and parents (Srisupawong et al., 2019; Tomaszewski et al., 2017), impacts of parents’ occupations (Harwell & Houston, 2012), vicarious experiences including social modelling and the impacts of these factors on students’ future studies (Lamers & Mason, 2018). However, literature exploring the effect of students’ engagements in STEM-related activities and programs prior to tertiary study and the impacts of these activities on students’ decisions to undertake STEM related degrees, has not been explored in detail. The purpose of this study therefore, is first, to identify if previous exposures to STEM-related activities are positively correlated with students’ perception of their computer abilities and thus, their decisions to enrol in a Computing or Engineering degree; second, assess other factors influencing students' study options such as, social persuasion and social modelling; and third, identify factors that are not essentially having a direct impact on students’ perception but may influence students’ decisions to pursue further studies in Computing or Engineering degrees

Advertising CS/IT degrees to female students in Australia

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) and other industry bodies predict a shortfall in university graduates needed to service the growth in technical IT job roles in Australia. This shortfall is exacerbated by the paucity of females both studying IT and working in the IT sector, particularly in technical majors and careers. One of the many reasons offered for the gender disparity in technical IT fields is the gender stereotyping of IT/CS careers displayed in mass media such as TV, games, film and advertising. Our study examines the advertising material promoting IT/CS degrees in Australian universities – specifically, the testimonials given by current and past students – to determine whether themes associated with females are less technically oriented than themes surrounding males. We also investigate whether gendered messages have an impact on the attitudes of students on the suitability of technical careers for females. This paper reports on the study findings: the proportions of genders used as role models in student testimonials; the attitudes of students towards efficacy in soft skills and technical skills; and the changes in attitudes towards technical and soft-skill efficacy upon presentation of gendered role-model examples.We found that male efficacy in technical and soft skills does not appear to change, whether male or female role models are presented; while female efficacy in technical abilities changes positively when female role models are presented, even when those role models are talking about IT ‘soft skills’. Implications for further research, policy and marketing in Australian universities are discussed