Gender Balance in Computing is back!

After several months of working behind the scenes, it is with some excitement that we can announce that our Gender Balance in Computing (GBIC) programme is reopening today!

We warmly invite all primary and secondary schools in England to take part in this landmark piece of research.

What is the Gender Balance in Computing programme?

As a quick explainer for teachers who have just been introduced to us, this programme aims to find out what works to engage girls in computing during their primary and secondary school years, and increase the number of young women who choose to study computer science at GCSE and A level.

Sadly, many young women do not see computing-related subjects as an option for their future careers. Research suggests that a variety of factors are likely to influence this, including feeling like they don’t belong in the subject or its community, a lack of sustained encouragement, and a lack of role models in computing when they are learning about the subject. We are working with schools to find ways to address these challenges.

With more than 700 schools expressing interest already, we’re over halfway to our target of 1,200 schools, and we’d love you to join us!

How do I get involved?

By taking part in the programme, you and your school will be contributing to an important new area of research.

Visit this page for more information about our trials and then sign up here.

Research articles

As well as developing the trials, we have also written a number of short, evidence-informed articles on the subject of gender balance in computing education. We’ve collated them here for easy access.

We look forward to welcoming you onto the programme soon!