Surveying the gender divide: insights from the I Belong student attitude survey
Since the launch of the I Belong programme in 2023, over 2,500 secondary students have completed a survey measuring their attitudes toward computer science prior to their school’s engagement with the programme.
The survey consisting of 11 targeted questions, focuses on students' opinions of computer science, as well as their motivations and barriers to considering taking the subject at GCSE level.
In this blog, we explore the key findings and highlight how joining the I Belong programme helps equip teachers and leaders with the tools to address the factors that deter students—especially girls—from pursuing this key subject.
Key Insights from the baseline survey
1. Enjoyment of computer science: a significant gender gap
The survey evaluated four key attitudes: enjoyment, future aspirations, sense of belonging, and perceptions of computer science’s everyday importance. While gender disparities were evident across all categories, the gap in enjoyment was the most pronounced. Boys expressed significantly higher levels of enjoyment compared to girls, which directly influenced their willingness to engage further in the subject. Notably, perceptions of computer science’s everyday importance showed the smallest gender gap, reflecting a shared understanding of its relevance across genders.
The enrichment activities and student events offered through the programme are the perfect way to improve girls’ enjoyment of the subject. Working in teams, collaborating with peers and getting inspired by Computing Ambassadors is a proven way to inspire students.
2. Perceived difficulty: challenging misconceptions
Girls were more likely to view computer science as a difficult subject, partially explaining their lower interest in choosing it at GCSE level. However, this perception does not align with exam performance data: despite far lower representation, girls outperformed boys by 8.6 percentage points at the top GCSE grades in computer science this year. This finding underscores the importance of addressing misconceptions about ability and difficulty.
The short course delivered as part of the programme will empower teachers and leaders to address these issues head on, leading to an increase in realised potential for more girls thinking about studying computer science at GCSE and beyond.
3. Barriers to choosing Computer Science GCSE: confidence and creativity
Girls were significantly more likely to cite disinterest, perceived difficulty, and lack of career benefits as reasons for not choosing it as a GCSE subject, directly paralleling previous research by the Department for Education. Additionally, girls frequently self-reported a preference for hands-on or creative subjects and identified lack of confidence as a key barrier. One student said: “Creative stuff is fun, but coding and that kind of thing is boring and difficult.” These are the point that the I Belong helps to address. Computing and creativity can go hand-in-hand, you can read one of our blogs to find out more.
4. Motivators: what drives girls and boys towards computer science?
Motivators for pursuing computer science also varied significantly between genders. Female students were significantly more likely to cite liking how computing is taught at their school as a motivator for choosing Computer Science GCSE. In contrast, male students more frequently listed enjoyment, self-perceived ability, and career benefits as motivators. Girls also self-reported a range of unique motivators, which collectively tended to centre around the flexibility and utility of computing skills in their future ambitions:
“I want loads of options and opportunities once I leave school, and computing will be a large part of that.”
“It’s cool and I want to create my own game in the future.”
“It will really help my career in medicine.”
“I want to learn video editing and graphic design.”
This shows how young people now see computing as part of their everyday lives and understand the value of digital skill in almost every career choice. Computer Science Journeys and our engaging careers videos are a great way to show students what jobs they can choose for themselves, benefitted by their study of computer science.
Key takeaways
The findings emphasise the need to:
- Boost enjoyment: prioritise teaching practices that make computer science more engaging and enjoyable
- Dispel misconceptions: challenge gendered beliefs about difficulty and capability
- Foster creativity: integrate hands-on, creative projects to make computer science more appealing
- Highlight relevance: showcase the diverse applications of computer science skills across industries
Are these challenges familiar in your classroom? Are you having similar conversations with your students?
By joining our I Belong programme, you can:
- access real-time insights into your students’ attitudes toward computer science
- identify specific barriers and motivators within your classroom
- contribute to a national effort to improve participation in computer science
Start your journey today by enrolling on the I Belong programme.