Gender Gaps In The Initiation Of Computer Programming In Secondary Education In Spain

Abstract

Computer programming (“coding”) skills are essential for today's digital society, professional and social development. This paper is precisely focused in the study of teaching-learning of coding from a gender perspective. The perceptions of Spanish high school students, who developed coding initiation activities in an international meeting called "Hour of Code" ("HoCo"), are analyzed from a gender perspective. The objective of this research seeks to know the perception and motivation of students towards coding in general and to identify possible gender gaps regarding the following eight variables: notion of the existence of coding (prior to the HoCo event); pre-HoCo coding experience; self-efficacy perceived by the participants immediately after the activities of the HoCo                ; real efficacy in the tasks performed during the HoCo; motivation and concrete intention to keep learning coding after the HoCo; and relevance attributed by the participants to coding, both for their future personal and professional life. We used the survey methodology by applying a questionnaire to 561 Spanish secondary school students, selected from a random list of educational centers among those registered in the event. Statistically significant gender gaps were found in favor of male students in all the variables studied, except for the last two variables (attributed relevance of the coding for future personal and professional life, in which no differences were found). Globally, our results show an important gender gap in Spain (d=0.5) existing in the Secondary Education stage on the predisposition to teaching-learning coding, which could constitute a threat to equal opportunities. The need to promote equitable teaching-learning of coding is suggested, as well as paying special attention to the integration of girls in computer programming from an early age.