Background and Context: Both in- and out-of-school computer science (CS) learning opportunities are expanding, but their influences on CS career interests are unclear. Method: To investigate, we applied multinomial propensity score weighting analysis on a 2021 U.S. nationally representative sample of 4,116 5th-to-12th-grade students. Findings: The…

This short-term, longitudinal study examines evidence that the level of popularity among adolescents' peer role models exacerbates the emotional impact of mistreatment by peers. We recruited 469 adolescents (255 boys, 214 girls; [X-bar] age = 12.7 years) from an ethnically diverse middle school and followed these youth for a 1-year period. We…

A gender gap persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although females constitute half the total workforce in the United States, they make up just greater than a quarter of employees in STEM fields. In recent years, one approach to addressing the gender gap in STEM has involved middle grades science…

The gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) professions results from several factors that deter females from pursuing careers in STEM. Girls' low interest in science and lack of feeling both belonging and efficacy in science, which emerge as early as middle school, are believed to be part of the problem. This study reports…

The main objective of this study is to determine whether boys and girls learn better when the characteristics of the pedagogical agent are matched to the gender of the learner while learning in immersive virtual reality (VR). Sixty-six middle school students (33 females) were randomly assigned to learn about laboratory safety with one of two…

Students are not succeeding in post-secondary education in California: 52% of community college students and 46% of students in 4-year institutions fail to graduate within 6 years. Traditionally underrepresented students have far higher rates of non-completion. In part this is because they have not been given an opportunity to engage in a…

Increasing racial and gender diversity has been an urgent goal in many professions and education is no exception. Though the call for more Black men is a worthy one, many challenging questions arise when one considers the country's socio-historical record. The purpose of this study is to explore some of these questions that arise as one probes the…

This paper explores the responses of nearly 1,200 children and young people in Wales who were asked to identify which three famous people they most admired and which three they most disliked. Analysis of these young people's responses reveals a number of sociological and educational issues. Their selections confirm other research which has…

Research suggests that, to narrow the gender gap in engineering, we should focus on helping young girls identify with engineering both because gendered attitudes emerge around kindergarten and because identity is more predictive than performance on persistence in the field. This qualitative study sought to understand the impact of collaborative…

U.S. national data show that American Indians earn lower math and science scores than other ethnic/racial groups. In the current study, a brief, self-affirmation intervention was aimed at increasing science motivational beliefs in American Indian middle school students (n = 212, M[subscript age] = 12.7 years). Students, each read a biography of a…

While current educational standards serve to ensure all students have access to quality education that engages them in learning the skills that STEM teaches, there continues to be a gap in female students taking STEM-related classes in high school and subsequently entering STEM related careers. Gaining female learners' interest in STEM during…

School and life achievement patterns for girls and women differ from those of boys and men. While girls have made dramatic progress in school, they need to be inspired to connect to lifelong achievement. Both research and clinical work at the Ohio-based Family Achievement Clinic find that more boys than girls underachieve in school. There is much…

This article presents a reflective analysis of an outreach programme called the Digital Divas Club. This curriculum-based programme was delivered in Australian schools with the aim of stimulating junior and middle school girls' interest in computing courses and careers. We believed that we had developed a strong intervention programme based on…

Currently, there are policy debates regarding the efficacy and legality of single sex formal and informal education programs. This issue is particularly poignant in science education due to the historical marginalization of women in these fields. This marginalization has resulted in women being positioned as a stigmatized group within many…

This mixed-methods study investigated relationships among gender, academic motivation and achievement in a mid-sized Wisconsin high school. A questionnaire was developed that focused on perceived ability, achievement motives and achievement goals. Interviews with teachers focused on relationships among academic motivation and gender achievement.…