The absence of diversity in STEM subjects, and in Computer Science in particular, remains a concern for school leaders, teachers, policymakers and academics worldwide. While research has highlighted the role of stereotypes, classroom performances, and social comparisons in shaping young people’s identities, we still know little about how these forces play out in early secondary classrooms, and what practical steps teachers might take to mitigate them. In this presentation, I share first-person, longitudinal narratives of ten children, captured during their first year at one of two secondary schools in the East of England. These verbatim accounts reveal how children’s everyday classroom experiences gradually shape their sense of whether Computer Science is for “people like them.” Drawing on theories such as Expectancy-Value Theory and the Communication Theory of Identity, I show how these stories allow us to decode children’s identity performances and their interpretations of peers’ performances, helping us understand how Computer Science identities evolve in response to classroom experiences. The findings highlight how a sense of belonging is built or eroded through ordinary moments. I argue that for many children, Computer Science is experienced as little more than a “Complicated Side Quest,” rather than a central, achievable pathway.

Authors:
Andrew Butcher, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Andrew Butcher is a classroom teacher and doctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-butcher-6b85a0272?trk=contact-info

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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