(Press-News.org) FOR A COPY OF THE STUDY AHEAD OF PUBLICATION, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO TAYLOR & FRANCIS’ EMBARGO AREA AND THEN VISIT: https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/redefining-the-computer-whiz-research-shows-diverse-skills-valued-by-youth/
New study reveals diverse perceptions of the 'ideal' computer science student among young people.
Researchers at the University of Reading, with colleagues at King's College London, have uncovered a more nuanced view of what makes an 'ideal' computer science student, challenging long-held stereotypes of geeky, clever, detail-oriented men, who lack social skills.
The research, published in Educational Review, analysed around 9000 responses from over 3,000 secondary school students aged 11-16 in England. While intelligence was still seen as important, the study found that young people value a much wider range of characteristics in computer science students, including creativity and collaboration.
Professor Billy Wong, University of Reading, said: "This is good news for widening participation in computer science education. Stereotypes exist for a reason but can be a powerful deterrent to participation by some underrepresented groups. Our findings show that young people recognise the importance of being knowledgeable and hardworking in computer science, and they also value softer traits such as creativity and collaboration. This challenges the popular stereotype of computer scientists as simply being 'clever' but socially challenged."
Key findings include:
- Eight main clusters of characteristics were identified: Smart & Clever; Knowledgeable & Interested; Determined & Hardworking; Kind & Helpful; Creative; Independent; Confident; and Collaborative.
- Students aspiring to careers in computer science were more likely to value diverse traits beyond just intelligence.
- Girls were more likely to describe the ideal computer science student as independent, but less likely to describe them as kind and helpful.
- Students from less advantaged backgrounds were more likely to focus on intelligence as the key trait.
Professor Wong added: "These insights can help educators and policymakers promote a more inclusive image of computer science. By highlighting the diverse skills valued in the field, we can encourage more young people to see themselves as potential computer scientists."
The study is part of the SCARI computing project, a three-year study funded by the Nuffield Foundation. It aims to understand factors shaping participation and performance in computer science education, with a focus on addressing the underrepresentation of girls in the field.
END
Redefining the computer whiz: research shows diverse skills valued by youth
New study reveals diverse perceptions of the 'ideal' computer science student among young people
2024-08-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Fern becomes first in suborder to be classed as “independent gametophyte”
2024-08-10
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that the fern Hymenasplenium murakami-hatanakae can become independent gametophytes i.e. live for long periods without a spore-producing sporophyte. They collected specimens from Izu-Oshima Island, Japan, and used DNA analysis to show that this Aspleniineae fern, a suborder encompassing thirty percent of ferns on the planet, was part of this rare class. Studying the species further promises to reveal more about how ferns diversify and adapt.
The “alternation of generations” in plants and algae is the intricate cycle by which they reproduce. Each ...
Study reveals Canadian wildfires are affecting US air quality and raising health concerns
2024-08-09
Climate-driven wildfire events are rapidly transferring harmful particulate matter containing toxic chemicals over long distances, compromising air quality in the New Jersey and New York City areas, according to Rutgers Health research.
Published in Environmental Science & Technology and to be featured on the cover of the journal’s next issue, the study assessed the physical and chemical characteristics of wildfire-related particulate matter and was the first to report this characterization from a climate-driven wildfire event in the densely populated Northeast region.
“Particulate ...
As temperatures break records, many are unaware of symptoms of heat-related illnesses
2024-08-09
PHILADELPHIA – With NASA data showing that July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record and indications that July may have been the hottest month, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey conducted in mid-July found that most people know three of the symptoms of a heat-related illness but do not know the location of their nearest cooling center. At the same time, increasing numbers of people think that heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense and affecting their daily activities.
Knowledge of cooling centers in the case of extreme heat
Although the locations of cooling centers, or indoor air-conditioned facilities such as libraries, ...
Researchers discover new mechanism to cool buildings while saving energy
2024-08-09
With temperatures rising globally, the need for more sustainable cooling options is also growing. Researchers at UCLA and their colleagues have now found an affordable and scalable process to cool buildings in the summer and heat them in the winter.
Led by Aaswath Raman, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, the research team recently published a study in Cell Reports Physical Science detailing a new method to manipulate the movement ...
New study will provide HIV prevention and treatment for incarcerated people with opioid use disorder
2024-08-09
The University of Massachusetts Amherst and Tufts Medical Center are conducting a study to provide HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment for people with opioid use disorders who are incarcerated in the Boston area.
The study is funded with a $4.74 million CONNECT grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Elizabeth Evans, professor of community health education in the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, and Dr. Alysse Wurcel, a ...
Russian invasion of Ukraine could have lasting impacts on global economy, environment
2024-08-09
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year, international trade has felt the effects as sanctions on Russian exports have expanded. Now researchers have found that the invasion may not only have significant short-term impacts on the global timber markets but may leave lasting effects on the global economy and the environment.
These findings are detailed in a new study which projects the impact of sanctions on Russia and military disruption in Ukraine on the global wood product markets. Researchers compared two projected scenario outcomes based on the Global Forest Products Market model, one ...
Investigating a critical factor for promoting drug-context associations and relapse
2024-08-09
Most people wouldn’t think twice after seeing sugar spilled on a counter. But for someone with a history of cocaine use, this visual cue could trigger powerful associations with their past drug use and a compulsive urge to seek the drug.
Certain circuits within the brain help to form natural associations between one’s experiences and the context in which those experiences occur. These associations play a critical role in the orchestration of adaptive learning. When addictive substances are introduced, this coupling mechanism can be hijacked so that ...
New material for optically-controlled magnetic memory discovered
2024-08-09
Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) have made unexpected progress toward developing a new optical memory that can quickly and energy-efficiently store and access computational data. While studying a complex material composed of manganese, bismuth and tellurium (MnBi2Te4), the researchers realized that the material’s magnetic properties changed quickly and easily in response to light. This means that a laser could be used to encode information ...
Detroit research team to investigate fear of falling in MS patients
2024-08-09
DETROIT — Taylor Takla, a Ph.D. candidate in the translational neuroscience program in Wayne State University’s School of Medicine, recently received a two-year, $96,812 F31 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health to study fear of falling in those with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The grant, “Investigating Fear of Falling in Multiple Sclerosis: An Interplay of Neural, Motor, Cognitive, and Psychological Factors,” aims to address a major public health concern in persons with MS that results in increased falls, decreased physical activity and ...
A new mechanism for shaping animal tissues
2024-08-09
A key question that remains in biology and biophysics is how three-dimensional tissue shapes emerge during animal development. Research teams from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, the Excellence Cluster Physics of Life (PoL) at the TU Dresden, and the Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) have now found a mechanism by which tissues can be “programmed” to transition from a flat state to a three-dimensional shape. To accomplish this, the researchers looked at the development of the fruit fly Drosophila and its ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work
Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain
Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows
Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois
Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas
Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning
New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability
#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all
Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands
São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems
New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function
USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery
Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance
3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts
Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study
In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon
Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals
Caste differentiation in ants
Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds
New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA
Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer
Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews
Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches
Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection
Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system
A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity
A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain
ECOG-ACRIN appoints seven researchers to scientific committee leadership positions
New model of neuronal circuit provides insight on eye movement
Cooking up a breakthrough: Penn engineers refine lipid nanoparticles for better mRNA therapies
[Press-News.org] Redefining the computer whiz: research shows diverse skills valued by youthNew study reveals diverse perceptions of the 'ideal' computer science student among young people