Gender Diversity in Computer Science at a Large Public R1 Research University: Reporting on a Self-study

With the number of jobs in computer occupations on the rise, there is a greater need for computer science (CS) graduates than ever. At the same time, most CS departments across the country are only seeing 25–30% of women students in their classes, meaning that we are failing to draw interest from a large portion of the population. In this work, we explore the gender gap in CS at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, a large public R1 research university, using three data sets that span thousands of students across six academic years. Specifically, we combine these data sets to study the gender gaps in four core CS courses and explore the correlation of several factors with retention and the impact of these factors on changes to the gender gap as students proceed through the CS courses toward completing the CS major. For example, we find that a significant percentage of women students taking the introductory CS1 course for majors do not intend to major in CS, which may be a contributing factor to a large increase in the gender gap immediately after CS1. This finding implies that part of the retention task is attracting these women students to further explore the major. Results from our study include both novel findings and findings that are consistent with known challenges for increasing gender diversity in CS. In both cases, we provide extensive quantitative data in support of the findings.

A pedagogia libertadora de Freire como possibilidade de empoderamento da mulher na EJA

Este trabalho apresenta o resultado de um estudo teórico que compõe parte de uma pesquisa desenvolvida na Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA) e consiste em discutir práticas de leitura voltadas ao empoderamento das mulheres/estudantes vinculadas ao Ensino Fundamental das séries iniciais (1º ao 5º ano) da EJA. A pesquisa se justifica pela necessidade de analisar alguns estudos já realizados por pesquisadores nesta modalidade de ensino, sustentados à luz dos pressupostos de Freire, no intuito de refletir sobre as práticas educativas que se configuram no universo escolar da EJA. Pautados na metodologia da pesquisa exploratória, do tipo bibliográfica, os resultados desta investigação apontam a necessidade de aproximação docente com a pedagogia do diálogo, da escuta, bem como entre as estudantes, frente à necessidade de práticas de leitura ao encontro do empoderamento das mulheres para além dos muros da escola. Sinalizam ainda para um ensino da língua materna ao encontro das mulheres em situação de diversidade, na busca pelo desejo unânime de aprender a ler/escrever, indo além do processo mecânico de decodificação, diante dos desafios colocados para a educação emancipadora na sociedade contemporânea.Palavras-chave: Educação emancipadora; Leitura; Empoderamento; Diversidade; EJA.Freire's liberating pedagogy as a possibility of women's empowerment in EJAABSTRACTThis work presents the result of a theoretical study that is part of a research developed in the Education of Youth and Adults (EJA) and consists of discussing reading practices aimed at the empowerment of women/students linked to elementary school in the early grades (1st to 5th year) of EJA. The research is justified by the need to analyze some studies already carried out by researchers in this modality of teaching, supported in the light of Freire's assumptions, in order to reflect on the educational practices that are configured in the EJA school universe. Based on the methodology of exploratory research, of the bibliographic type, the results of this investigation point to the need to bring teachers closer to the pedagogy of dialogue, listening, as well as among students, given the need for reading practices to meet the empowerment of women to beyond the school walls. They also point to a teaching of the mother tongue to meet women in a situation of diversity, in the search for the unanimous desire to learn to read/write, going beyond the mechanical process of decoding, given the challenges posed for emancipatory education in contemporary society.Keywords: Emancipatory education; Reading; Empowerment; Diversity; EJA.La pedagogía liberadora de Freire como posibilidad del empoderamiento de las mujeres en EJARESUMENEste trabajo presenta el resultado de un estudio teórico que forma parte de una investigación desarrollada en la Educación de Jóvenes y Adultos (EJA) y consiste en discutir prácticas lectoras orientadas al empoderamiento de mujeres/estudiantes vinculadas a la escuela primaria en los primeros grados (1er. a 5o año) de EJA. La investigación se justifica por la necesidad de analizar algunos estudios ya realizados por investigadores en esta modalidad de enseñanza, apoyados a la luz de los supuestos de Freire, con el fin de reflexionar sobre las prácticas educativas que se configuran en el universo escolar de EJA. A partir de la metodología de investigación exploratoria, de tipo bibliográfico, los resultados de esta investigación apuntan a la necesidad de acercar a los docentes a la pedagogía del diálogo, la escucha, así como entre los estudiantes, dada la necesidad de prácticas lectoras para atender el empoderamiento. de las mujeres más allá de los muros de la escuela. También apuntan a la enseñanza en lengua materna para encontrar mujeres en situación de diversidad, en la búsqueda del deseo unánime de aprender a leer / escribir, yendo más allá del proceso mecánico de decodificación, dados los desafíos que plantea la educación emancipadora en la sociedad contemporánea. Palabras clave: Educación emancipadora; Leer; Empoderamiento; Diversidad; EJA.

Oxford in Wartime

This chapter introduces the remaining women—Iris Murdoch, Mary Scrutton (later Midgley), and Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe (Elizabeth to her friends)—and describes the state of women’s education in Oxford leading up to and during World War II. Somerville College, where all but Anscombe attended, was at that time one of the most selective institutions in the British Empire. This was due not only to its reputation within Oxford, but also to its small enrollment and the limited number of women’s colleges in general. Despite Somerville’s selectivity, the women still faced disadvantages. Oxford still treated its women as “on probation,” and few women had received the education in classical languages that was a gateway to the prestigious “Greats” degree. During the war, however, as Oxford was drained of fighting-age men, women students were able to benefit from more intensive mentoring and other learning opportunities formerly directed toward men.

Nursing Practicum Equity for a Changing Nurse Student Demographic: a Qualitative Study

Background:The nursing practicum (clinical practice) is an essential but often highly stressful aspect of the nursing degree. A review of the published literature reveals a strong focus on the stressors that originate within the practicum environment, rather than the student’s life outside the university and practice setting. This article reports on an Australian study, completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, of the university experiences of undergraduate women nurse students with family responsibilities. The findings reveal the importance of factors outside the university on the women students’ practicum experience and their ability to engage and achieve.Methods:The study was qualitative, guided by Gadamer’s hermeneutic philosophy. Twenty-nine women students with family responsibilities (partners and children) were interviewed at two stages of their degree journey. Over 50 hours of data were thematically analysed.Findings:The themes ‘family pressure’ and ‘practicum poverty’ describe the impact of domestic work, family finances and practicum organisation on student stress, wellbeing, achievement, thoughts of attrition, and family tension. These findings are particularly pertinent to Australia and other developed nations where the nurse student demographic continues to age. An interpretation of these findings against the recent impact of COVID-19 on nurse education and women’s life choices reveals the likelihood that these difficulties have intensified for women students with family responsibilities since the pandemic began.Conclusions and Recommendations:Many developed nations, including Australia, are increasingly reliant on older women nurse students to maintain the future graduate nursing workforce. This change in nurse student demographic to the mature-age student requires a revision of the organisation of the nursing practicum. Recommendations to nurse education to improve practicum accessibility for women students who have family responsibilities include the application of a flexible and collaborative approach to practicum organisation and communication. Wider recommendations to Government include a revision of the way the nursing student is financially supported during the practicum. Further research that explores the practicum experience for women nurse students during and following the COVID-19 pandemic is also recommended.

CORRELATES OF HAPPINESS AMONG MUSLIM WOMEN STUDENTS IN WOMEN CENTRE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION SOKOTO STATE, NORTHERN NIGERIA.

Despite burgeoning researches on happiness in different fields of psychology, anthropology, and economics, in the west on Judeo-Christians and on men, fewer researches were conducted on correlates of happiness among Muslims especially Women in the African context. World happiness report (WHR) reported that Nigeria was ranked as the 5th happiest nation and 6th in Africa, however fewer researches of happiness in Nigeria were reported especially in Northern Nigeria. It investigated the relationship between happiness, culture, socio-economic status and religious coping, among Muslim women students. Quantitative design of the correlational type was used, the population of 900 students from women centers for continuing education (WCCE) and 269 samples using a purposive sampling method. Orientation to happiness scale (OHS) with the reliability of 0.953, cultural questionnaire for women (CQW) with a coefficient of 0.918, a demographic questionnaire socio-economic status scale (SESS) with 0.717 reliability co-efficient and Islamic religious coping scale (IRCOPE) with alpha 0.888 were the instruments used for data collection, generally named happiness, culture, socio-economic status and religious coping scale with a total coefficient of 0.937. Partial least square based on structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data. It revealed that a statistically significant positive relationship between happiness, culture and religious coping, while SES was not significantly related to happiness among Muslim women students.

“No, Teach Yourself!”: College Women’s Expectations for White Men’s Awareness of Privilege and Oppression

Addressing gender inequities in higher education must begin with the acknowledgement that men play a key role in creating change. The purpose of this qualitative study is to center and raise the experiences of women students, and to communicate to men who are students, faculty, and administrators what women students expect from them in terms of privilege and oppression awareness. Findings indicate that women students felt criticized, judged, and underestimated by men, and expected men to self-educate to become aware of and interrogate their own privileges. The authors provide recommendations for higher education teaching and learning, focusing on attitudes and behaviors of White men in the academy.