King's College London

A new report by King’s College London, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, highlights how fewer girls in England are studying computing at secondary school since the curriculum became narrower in scope and the authors call on the incoming government to take action to address the problem.

The report finds girls are more likely than boys to say they do not enjoy computer science GCSE, it does not align with their career plans or it seems more difficult than other subjects. The authors also warn some can be deterred by pervasive stereotypes about the jobs available that use computing or digital skills. When pupils were asked to name famous computing people, men, in particular the tech entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, dominated the top 10 list with only two women included – Grace Hopper and Ada Lovelace – both of whom are long deceased.

To ensure computing is a subject that appeals to more young people the authors make a set of recommendations including the urgent need for curriculum reform, improving support for computing teachers and changing the current narrative around computing to focus beyond male tech entrepreneurs.

They point out that a wider range of digital skills are vital for individuals to participate in modern society and will be needed if the UK is to realise its aim to become a “science and technology superpower.”

The report explores the impact of a 2014 curriculum change in England from Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to a greater focus on Computer Science that elevated computer theory and programming skills.

It highlights how 43% of those who took the GCSE in ICT were girls in 2015 compared to just 21% taking GCSE Computer Science in 2023.

Maggie Philbin, technology broadcaster and Director of TeenTech, an organisation which promotes digital skills, supported the report recommendations saying it is vital all young people have the opportunity to develop digital skills.

The Subject Choice Attainment and Representation in Computing project (SCARI) report was a three-year study funded by the Nuffield Foundation and co-authored by Dr Peter Kemp, Dr Jessica Hamer and Meggie Copsey-Blake, all of the School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s, and Professor Billy Wong, of the University of Reading.

Through a survey of almost 5,000 students, they found that, among girls who did not opt for computing at GCSE level, 74 percent said they did not enjoy it compared to 53 percent of boys. Also 56 percent of these same girls felt it did not align with their career plans. Among Key Stage 3 pupils, girls were more interested than boys in topics such as digital media, project work and presentation work which were closer to the previous ICT curriculum.

The research also involved interviews with 45 stakeholders including teachers and school leaders and analysing 960 school documents. It revealed many teachers and senior school leaders were dissatisfied with the new GCSE Computer Science specification and felt unprepared to teach it. The teachers called for better access to continuous professional development, especially around ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as subject-specific training.

To encourage more girls to take computing and to give all young people access to better digital skills, the report recommends:

• reforming the computing curriculum with a focus on broader digital skills
• promoting and enhancing teaching training and professional development
• supporting inclusive computing education in schools
• reframing the computing narrative
• showcasing diverse digital opportunities
• increasing access to out of school digital making.

The authors call for a concerted commitment from policymakers, educators, business and other relevant parties. Otherwise, they warn: “The lack of women in computing may lead to heightened vulnerabilities and the dominance of men in shaping the modern world.”