ABSTRACT

In light of the need to both grow and diversify graduate enrollments in computing fields, this quantitative study examined variables associated with students’ initial aspirations for computing graduate school as well as how aspirations were sustained or developed over time. Using a longitudinal sample of undergraduate students who enrolled in introductory computing courses at 15 research universities, findings suggest that environments and interactions that sustain undergraduate students’ initial computing graduate aspirations are quite different than those that contribute to other students’ development of graduate aspirations. Specifically, this study highlights the key role of domain-specific psychosocial beliefs (i.e., computing identity, computing self-efficacy) in shaping students’ aspirations for graduate computing. Results also highlight important equity issues, particularly related to supporting graduate aspirations among underrepresented Students of Color in computing. We offer implications for cultivating gender and racial/ethnic diversity in computing graduate school pathways, which is imperative to generating more inclusive computing environments in the tech industry and academia.

摘要

鉴于计算领域研究生招生人数的增长和多样化的需要，这项定量研究检查了与学生对计算机研究生院的最初抱负以及抱负如何随着时间的推移持续或发展的相关变量。使用在 15 所研究型大学注册计算机入门课程的本科生的纵向样本，结果表明，维持本科生最初的计算机研究生愿望的环境和互动与促进其他学生发展研究生愿望的环境和互动大不相同。具体而言，本研究强调了特定领域的社会心理信念（即计算身份、计算自我效能）在塑造学生对计算研究生的愿望方面的关键作用。结果还突出了重要的公平问题，特别是与支持计算机领域代表性不足的有色人种学生的毕业生抱负有关。我们提供了在计算机研究生院途径中培养性别和种族/民族多样性的意义，这对于在科技行业和学术界产生更具包容性的计算环境至关重要。