Over the past decade, the US policymakers have called for all students to be prepared in computer science (CS) (Williamson, Bergviken Rensfeldt, Player-Koro and Selwyn 2019). Problematically, Sepehr Vakil (2018) notes that these calls are made to increase industrial competitiveness rather than to advance opportunities for those underrepresented in the field. Jane Margolis, Joanna Goode and Gail Chapman (2015) point out that access to advanced CS courses, specialized programs, and electives varies for students across the US, with fewer offerings for students in low socioeconomic areas compared to more affluent communities. Further, students are academically tracked at a young age based on teachers’ perceptions of students’ academic ability, social stereotypes, and/or students’ scores on high-stakes assessments (Margolis, Estrella, Goode, Jellison Holme and Nao, 2017). Keena Arbuthnot (2009) argues that these subjective measures of ability and stereotype threat continue to marginalize students and limit equitable participation in the field of CS.
Margolis and colleagues (2012) argue that to begin dismantling barriers for marginalized students in CS, we must design learning environments that (a) draw upon students’ prior knowledge and make sense of complex problems; (b) engage students in CS in ways that are relevant to their lived experiences; (c) provide opportunities for students to make sense of the world and express themselves through CS; and have (d) teachers to demonstrate care, compassion, and validation to diverse students in CS, celebrating their successes and fostering authentic student–teacher relationships (Margolis, Ryoo, Sandoval, Lee, Goode and Chapman 2012). These recommendations emphasize an impetus for situating students’ cultural and social identities at the heart of teaching and learning CS; however, learning environments in CS have been shaped by theoretical and empirical data on cognitive learning, rather than on sociocultural learning (Grover and Pea 2013). We contend that centering the voices of marginalized individuals in CS education is essential for creating equitable and just learning spaces. By prioritizing the experiences and perspectives of those who are overlooked, stakeholders can design interventions that address systemic inequities and promote inclusive practices in CS education.
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The purpose of this study is to present the counternarrative (Solórzano and Yosso 2002) of Gislaine Martinez-Campa, a first-generation college student who has experienced poverty, identifies as Latina, and is a CS major. Gislaine collaborated with Meredith, a faculty member in science education in a research and mentoring experience; through this experience, Gislaine developed, taught, and reflected upon CS lessons designed for youth in a summer school program. Additionally, Gislaine documented and reflected upon her own life story and her journey toward becoming a CS major. Together, Gislaine and Meredith constructed a counternarrative of her experiences, exploring the following research questions: How does Gislaine narrate the complexities of her cultural and social identities, particularly as they intersect with her journey in learning CS and facilitating mentorship experiences for African-American youth? Furthermore, how does Gislaine’s counternarrative shed light on structural inequities in CS and offer insights into transformative change within educational institutions?
Literature review
Over the past decade, the percentage of students conferring bachelor’s degrees in computer science (CS) from minoritized backgrounds, namely, African-American and Latine groups have remained consistently low, despite the slight increase in women in the field (Hansen and Zerbino 2022). Stephanie Lunn and her colleagues put forth that descriptive statistics do not elucidate the experiences of minoritized groups and describe how their multiple cultural and social identities intersect with the field of computer science (Lunn, Zahedi, Ross and Ohland 2021). CS has historically been criticized for its neutrality, masculine ideals, and individualistic nature that is absent from the human experience (Ensmenger 2015). Individuals who do not conform to the dominant ideals of CS often find themselves marginalized, facing challenges in navigating the culture of the field and feeling recognized within it (Cheryan, Master and Meltzoff 2015). In their theoretical paper, Rodriguez and Lehman (2017) urge scholars to delve into the identity development of computer scientists using an intersectional approach. An intersectional approach can help us understand the systems of oppression that are impeding women, individuals from low-income backgrounds, and marginalized racialized groups to envision themselves in CS. Sharin Rawhiya Jacob, Jonathan Montoya and Mark Warschauer (2022) contend that although programs have been developed to enhance the participation of marginalized student groups, there remains a need for further investigation into how students’ intersectional identities influence their perception of themselves as computer scientists.
Access to advanced computer science (CS) courses and certified CS teachers within the US K-12 public school systems varies significantly. CS offerings are less common in schools serving disadvantaged populations and African-American students (Wang and Moghadam 2017). Students of color lacking K-12 access to CS are disadvantaged in post-secondary CS classes, potentially fostering feelings of exclusion from the field (Kapoor and Garnder-McCune 2018). For socioeconomically and racially marginalized students, facing racism and a scarcity of formal mentorship while navigating the predominantly white competitive environment of computer science in higher education leads to feelings of isolation, overwhelm, and inferiority (Thomas, Joseph, Williams and Burge 2018). In a study conducted by Ebony McGee, Gerek Griffith and Stacey Houston (2019) on Black engineering and computing graduate students, it was found that these students experienced extreme stress in attempting to demonstrate their value to white peers as representative minorities, often concealing their mental health challenges from others. Some Latina CS majors have drawn strength from supportive family members who affirm and encourage their persistence in the field while others have found solace in networks of peer support that offer a safe space for discussing both positive and negative experiences in their personal and academic (Esquinca, Villa, Hampton, Ceberio and Wandermurem 2015).
Identifying social and cultural barriers in CS allows for designing inclusive classrooms that support students’ self-identification in the field, offer tailored mentorship, and reform exclusionary structural practices within CS departments (Rodriguez and Lehman 2017). As early as elementary school, CS activities that include family and culture can disrupt stereotypical ideas of who can be a computer scientist for young Latinas (Rawhiya Jacob, Montoya and Warschauer 2022). Roy Englash (2021) and his colleagues demonstrated how computing can align with cultural ways of knowing and expression, countering hegemonic values in the field; they highlighted examples of computing designs for community engagement, music, and games revised to emphasize empathy, justice, and activism (Englash, Bennett, Cooke, Babbitt and Lachney 2021). Kimberly Scott and Mary Aleta White (2013) found that secondary Black and Latina girls thrive in afterschool computing courses with mentors who establish rapport, affirm their abilities, and orient coding projects toward social causes. Moreover, the neutrality of computer science (CS) is challenged by positioning it as a tool to address real-world problems and serve others (Mejias, Jean-Pierre, Washington and Burge 2019), and by contextualizing it within socio-political landscapes that empower students to design for justice (Madkins, Martin, Ryoo, Scott, Goode, Scott and McAlear 2019) thus promoting engagement in the field. In higher education, Yolanda Rankin and Jakita Thomas (2020) highlight the intentional mentorship and supportive community between faculty and CS students in Historically Black Universities (HBCUs), suggesting implications for stakeholders in predominantly White universities (PWIs) to collaborate with HBCUs to enhance structures and processes retaining students of color in CS (Rankin and Thomas 2020). These studies underscore the importance of centering the perspectives of marginalized students in the development of CS curriculum, teaching practices, and policy efforts to foster inclusivity, empower marginalized students, and promote a more equitable and diverse future in the field.
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Theoretical framework
The theoretical and methodological foundation of this study draws upon facets of Critical Race Theory in Education (Ladson-Billings and Tate 1995) to explore intersectionality with CS through a counternarrative. Originating from legal scholarship (e.g., Bell 1980), Critical Race Theory provides a critical lens for analyzing systems of oppression that marginalize people of color. As an extension of CRT, intersectionality, as conceptualized by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), emphasizes the interconnected nature of social identities and power structures. Intersectionality guides scholars to analyze how multiple forms of oppression, such as race, gender, class, and dis/ability(ies) intersect and compound to shape individuals’ experiences within educational settings. By applying an intersectional lens, researchers can uncover the complex dynamics of inequality and privilege that operate at both macro- and micro-levels in institutions as schools and in the field of CS.
Intersectionality can be examined through counternarratives, or stories that give voice to individuals in the margins of society, describing their lived realities and experiences (Solórzano and Yosso 2002). Counternarratives challenge dominant narratives and amplify marginalized voices, disrupting hegemonic discourses and highlight the realities of oppression and resistance within educational contexts (Delgado and Stefancic 2017). We argue that counternarratives can challenge the status quo of what should be valued in CS and bring visibility to people who have been placed in the margins. These stories also provide important implications for shaping learning ecologies that are more equitable and socially just. Through the analysis of intersectionality within a counternarrative, this study seeks to elucidate how Gislaine’s social and cultural identities intersected with the culture of CS. We acknowledge that Gislaine’s identities are not monolithic, and experiences are not always shared by others in CS (or any other field). By centering her voice and experiences in CS, we share Gislaine’s truth of navigating and transforming the field.
Methodology
In our research, we were influenced by Richard Miller, Katrina Liu and Arnetha F. Ball’s (2020) exploration of “Critical Counternarratives as a Transformative Methodology for Educational Equity.” This chapter highlights the significance of narrative inquiry methods (Connelly and Clandinin 1990) to collect and analyze personal stories to understand an individual’s experiences with intentions of challenging dominant narratives and prevailing discourses. Through narrative inquiry methods, researchers can analyze and interpret these counternarratives, examining how individuals’ experiences diverge from dominant discourses and exploring the underlying social, cultural, and structural factors that shape their stories. By centering counternarratives in research, narrative inquiry methods enable researchers to amplify marginalized voices, challenge power dynamics, and advocate for social justice and equity. We leverage Gislaine’s counternarrative as an analytical tool to critique hegemonic structures within computer science and education that marginalize people of color. Additionally, we use her narrative to identify strategies and pedagogies that facilitate transformation and promote equity in these domains (Milner and Howard 2013).
Positionality of the authors
Gislaine Martinez-Campa is a Mexican-American woman and first-generation college student, who is a 2nd year undergraduate CS major at a predominantly White university in the southern US. Gislaine received a full-tuition scholarship for college that supports academically exceptional undergraduates who have overcome adversity and/or are members of underrepresented groups that contribute to campus diversity. As part of this scholarship, Gislaine has access to an undergraduate network of and faculty mentors that meet weekly known as William & Mary Undergraduate Research Experiences (WMSURE). WMSURE dually supports scholarship recipients to navigate college life and engage in faculty-directed research internships. Through WMSURE, Gislaine met Meredith Kier, who was a faculty mentor in this program; Meredith is a faculty member in a School of Education, committed to access and equity in STEM education and engaged with university-school partnerships and teacher professional development. Gislaine approached Meredith to engage in educational research and participate in opportunities to share her passion for CS with youth.
Meredith eagerly welcomed Gislaine to work with her as an undergraduate researcher. Since meeting, they have worked closely together for 2 years with Gislaine receiving paid research hours. Through their work together, Gislaine became interested in designing her own curricular activities to engage marginalized youth in computer science. Meredith worked closely with Gislaine to develop contextually appropriate activities and then offered her an opportunity to facilitate these activities with middle school students during a summer STEM enrichment program that was a part an urban school district’s summer school initiative. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation’s EArly-concept grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) that explores how underrepresented STEM majors contribute to teaching and learning in STEM environments when collaborating with teachers. Gislaine collaborated with a teacher during the 2-week summer school program where students would be engaging in a Genius Hour project that showcases a passion through a creative approach (McNair 2022). She designed CS lessons to be embedded within this curriculum so that rising ninth grade students could apply CS concepts when identifying a passion or problem and presenting their work to school district stakeholders in a community expo. Gislaine taught three 2-day lessons over the 8 days.
Data collection and analysis
We utilized various qualitative data sources to contextualize and shape Gislaine’s counternarrative of learning and teaching computer science. Gislaine engaged in an 18-month paid research internship with Meredith, where her focus was on conceptualizing learning opportunities for youth and exploring students’ perceptions of computer science concepts and their sense of belonging in the field. Throughout this period, the authors met weekly to establish a conceptual framework for Gislaine’s mentorship as well as learning and engagement outcomes for students. These meetings also served to document Gislaine’s intentions for lessons and to debrief with Meredith after she implemented CS lessons with students. Meredith maintained detailed field notes during these discussions, covering Gislaine’s lesson planning progress, implementation discussions, reflections about students, and stories of her own educational journey and experiences in CS.
Before starting the mentoring experience, Gislaine prepared an outline of her lessons with Meredith. During the mentorship experience, she documented her daily implementation of computer science (CS) lessons with students and her own observations of student engagement. During her reflections, Gislaine analyzed student data from brief open-ended surveys administered after each lesson, which formatively assessed students’ ability to relate CS concepts such as sequences, loops, and conditionals to their daily lives as well to share how they saw themselves in the field of CS (Mouza, Marzocchi, Pan and Pollock 2016). In discussions with Meredith following each reflection, Gislaine expanded upon her reflections by articulating her intentions and rationale for conducting lessons in a particular manner. Meredith took notes during these discussions and encouraged Gislaine to delve into the significance of specific activities and experiences, as well as the factors influencing her decisions in working with students. This process resulted in 16.5 double-spaced pages of documented reflections on Gislaine’s mentoring experience.
Subsequently, Gislaine and Meredith systematically analyzed Gislaine’s lesson plans and reflections, with a focus on identifying stories of culturally affirming practices aligning with the literature on fostering marginalized students’ identity development in computer science (e.g., Margolis, Goode and Chapman 2015). During these discussions, Meredith probed Gislaine to explain why it was so important to apply CS to students lives and why she continuously discussed praising students for their contributions to learning. This exploration led to Gislaine sharing her personal journey of becoming a CS major, spanning from elementary school to her 2nd year in college, and reflecting on how these experiences informed her values and actions in mentoring youth in the field. Gislaine and Meredith documented this comprehensive account, totaling another 16 double-spaced pages, which served as a significant data source for developing a narrative that explicitly detailed Gislaine’s cultural and social identities and their intersections with computer science. This narrative also explored the relationships between Gislaine’s counternarrative and her transformative teaching practices with students, as well as their interactions with dominant narratives in computer science.
All data sources were collectively analyzed to construct Gislaine’s critical counternarrative (Miller, Liu and Ball 2020), illuminating the intersections between her social identities, life experiences, and dominant narratives of teaching and learning computer science. Employing traditional methods of narrative inquiry (Connelly and Clandinin 2012), we situated Gislaine’s experiences within the broader context of the master narrative in computer science, examining how her social identities influenced her learning and teaching experiences. This analysis encompassed broader social, cultural, and institutional contexts, allowing us to interpret her experiences within the complex sociocultural landscape of education and computer science. Through the process of storytelling and reinterpretation, we delved into pivotal experiences in Gislaine’s learning and teaching journey, examining the intricate dynamics between her social identities, educational experiences, and the broader narratives within computer science education. We analyzed Gislaine’s narratives uncover themes, patterns, and meanings embedded within her narrative through a reflexive and co-constructive approach. Her stories provided a means so share her rich, nuanced insights into how her various identities intersected and influenced her experiences in learning and teaching computer science.
Gislaine’s counternarrative
Gislaine’s journey to computer science
I grew up in a very low-income household. I remember being very young when we lost our nice house in a suburb to move to a trailer park in a nearby town. I had to share the room with my younger sister, but that was a huge improvement to all my family sharing a bed in the basement of my Tia’s house while we “got back on our feet.” In my early years of school, I realized that I was different from the rest of my peers. I am Latina. I have brown skin, lighter than my family’s but too dark to pass as white. I have very dark brown hair, so dark that I called it black for most of my life. My peers told me often how hairy I was. Despite this insecurity, I was most confident in school because I made good grades and excelled in all subjects. However, I placed an immense amount of pressure on myself at an early age to be good enough for my peers and teachers. I think that it was around second grade that I started getting recognized by my peers and their parents as the “smart girl.” Being the “smart girl” was better than other names I had been called. I decided early that I wanted to be a teacher because everyone around said that I’d be a great teacher. I loved the idea of being a role model for little girls who had never seen anyone around them with the same dark hair and skin.
I’m not sure why I was never tested for gifted and talented classes even though I was doing better than a lot of the students who were tested and received the "gifted" status. It stung when I went into middle school and was not able to take classes designated for gifted students with my friends. I sat in my regular classes while my friends built and presented roller coasters made from cardboard and went on field trips to experience fun, engaging STEM activities. I was jealous. I wanted to be like them. I questioned my ability. I must not have been smart enough to be there with them because I was not put in there, even if I got perfect grades. During this time, my father had been deported and my mom was even more distant than she had been. I joined cross country, the school play, and clubs. I did whatever it took to be at school for as long as I could.
At the end of middle school, I was invited to a university program that offered people like me, low-income students, an opportunity to go to college. They promised me tuition for 4 years if I participated in their 5-year college-readiness program and was accepted to the affiliated university. I knew that I wanted to go to college, but it seemed like a pipe dream before this opportunity. We needed a letter of recommendation, an essay, our academic transcripts, and an interview with college professors. I remember being nervous, but I put everything that I had into that process. When I found out that I got in, I cried. College finally seemed like a real possibility.
I continued to do well in high school, but each year got harder for me to maintain the “smart girl” image. I had to sacrifice things I loved to do to focus on school. I could not play the flute anymore because I had too many academic classes and my family did not have the funds to pay for me to be in the marching band after school. I quit cross country because it was not as important to me as honors choir and participating in the college-readiness program. In the ninth grade, I met an amazing mentor, my geography teacher, who became a person I trusted to talk to about my future and life. He was funny and kind and encouraged me to join the academic team when I had time in my busy schedule. In the 10th grade, my geography teacher and mentors in the college-readiness program encouraged me to apply to the local governor’s school; this half-day program offered advanced placement and dual enrollment classes in STEM. As I had always wanted to teach, I had a hard time seeing the value of Governor’s School. However, I applied and hoped that I would be good enough to get in. Thankfully, I did.
At Governor’s School, I had the opportunity to choose one elective course in addition to physics and math classes. I chose CS because I thought that it would be helpful to learn. Learning to code in Python showed me a new way of critically thinking. Trying to think like a programmer was a lot harder than I’d expected but I did very well in that class and earned the “Best Student in Introductory CS” award at the end of the year. I also joined the robotics team and competed nationally with my peers; this experience unlocked my interest in how robots could help society. By senior year, I started questioning my future intentions to teach. The person that I thought I was going to be was changing, and I feared the unknown. I again turned to my geography teacher/mentor who encouraged me to consider pursuing my newfound interest in CS. I followed his advice and took every CS class that was offered at the Governor’s School, including advanced CS, cybersecurity, machine learning, and Calculus I and II. Cybersecurity taught me a lot about how computers work, and how they interact with each other. Machine learning gave me an introduction to algorithms and some of the amazing applications that they can have. Calculus I and II gave me an amazing foundation for the math behind CS. That year, I won the school technology award. At long last, I had fulfilled the requirements for the college-readiness program but was unsure if I wanted to accept their full scholarship. Instead, I took a leap of faith and applied to my dream university far outside of my financial means and was accepted there with a comprehensive financial aid package. I took the risk, moved away from home, and dreamed of becoming a computer scientist.
When I got to college, I struggled to live alone and find my confidence in the competitive CS classes. I was no longer “the smart girl,” as the people around me were brilliant and had more opportunities than me. I struggled to remember why I wanted to go into the field as I felt lesser than my peers. For example, some of my peers would boast about how easy the assignments were. I knew that it took me twice as long to complete an assignment compared to others. My professors assume that everyone already has a basic understanding of their lectures and explicitly announce that they want to “weed out” the low performers. I fortunately made a friend with one of my CS peers who is also from an underrepresented background. While we support each other through challenges in the major, I sometimes wonder if I am in a losing race with time for how long I have left in the CS department. Sometimes I still do not feel like a computer scientist.
Gislaine’s mentoring experience
I had never made a lesson plan or taught CS. What did I know? I was in their position less than 4 years ago. I did not even have a chance to code until I got into the eleventh grade. I wanted the kids to see how versatile the world of CS was. I wanted to leave them with the ability to view abstract coding structures in their day-to-day lives. I researched quite a bit about STEM summer camps and found Christa Jackson and colleague’s (2021) Equity-oriented STEM Literacy Framework (Jackson, Mohr-Schroeder, Bush, Maiorca, Roberts, Yost and Fowler 2021). The framework focused on situating STEM learning within children’s lived experiences. It emphasized empathy, critical thinking, empowerment, STEM identity development, dispositions, and utility. I wanted to craft lessons that were not intimidating, built foundational understandings, and helped students see the utility of CS in their lives. Most importantly, I wanted them to feel capable and worthy of being in the CS field.
The summer school program was 8 days. Only eight students arrived on the 1st day and I sensed quickly that many of them did not want to be there. When I asked the kids why they chose to come to the camp, one student explained to me that his mom had made him come because she had not wanted him to stay in the house all day. Other students echoed his response, and some added that they also got academic credit for participating in summer school. Hearing their responses made me want my lessons to bring them joy and excitement. I told the students that I would be working with them to understand sequences, conditionals, and loops. I explained to the kids that a sequence is a specific set of instructions performed in order, like TikTok dances or the making of large LEGO® structures. Students named their examples, including “cooking,” “baking,” and “games.” Then, I displayed the ingredients of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and asked students to write clear directions to help me make my sandwich. The kids took turns reading their instructions and found that only the most detailed and explicit directions were able to create the desired sandwich. The activity began to bring out the students’ playfulness and I vividly remembered doing this activity in my own seventh grade class.
I continued to connect with the students the following day, asking them questions about what they enjoyed. While several spoke about their love for sports and anime, I noticed that one student who did not participate in any of the main activities and kept to himself. I began my second lesson by asking the students to recall what a sequence was and was excited by how many students provided examples. I explained we were going to use a program called Codesters, which used a drag-and-drop technique to teach the kids how to make a Sprite dance using code. Before they began, I modeled how to use the website in front of the class and move through each step. I told the kids that they were able to do it alone or in pairs, and most chose to work alone. While students worked, I walked around to make sure that each student was making their way through the program. I was surprised that many of the students took to the task easily. After the lesson, students shared that they enjoyed the program and that it was not too hard to understand. Students were able to tell me that the dance steps were sequences and that code needed to be correctly ordered to work properly. While facilitating the discussion, I noticed two students laughing to themselves while still looking at the computer screen. When I walked over to them, I was surprised to find that one of the girls had created a flying hedgehog in space with the program. While this was not part of my instructions, she was having fun playing with the code and making the hedgehog do funny things; she called it the “hedgehog game.” I saw this event as a successful outcome. It seemed that the program had piqued her curiosity and that she might even consider using it again.
By day 3, I was feeling like I was getting to know the kids better, but they seemed tired. I made a quick decision to teach my original lesson about conditionals outside. I excitedly led them to an open space at the front of the school and told them that conditionals used “if/then” to tell a computer whether to run certain operations in a program. I gave them the example, “If it rains, then I will stay inside. So, if it is not raining, then I will not stay inside.” I asked them to come up with some more, and one student said that he used conditional statements in his life because he had to do all his chores before he was allowed to play his computer games. His explanation seemed to get the other kids to understand more. We played a version of red light, green light using conditional statements. I used statements like “If you were born in November, then step forward.” I would give other random conditions until we got several students to cross the finish line and then we would restart the game. About halfway through, I explained that sometimes, computer scientists will write if/else statements into their code. So, if the original condition is not met, the code will have another piece of code to run instead. I told them, if they meet the condition, step forward, and if not, they take two steps back. This new element of the game got students excited and competitive. We finished the game with two students winning at the finish line together.
By the end of the 1st week, the students were joking around with me and generally, were more enthusiastic about camp. On day 4, I introduced students to Spike Prime LEGO® kits and shared that they would be programming a game. I did not want them to feel helpless with this new program, so I modeled code for everyone to begin with. I worked with each student to get started and they soon mastered their goal. This was one of the best moments of with students because I noticed that they showed the same excitement that I had when I completed my first coding project. I ended my 1st week as a mentor with the female student for the website to play her “hedgehog game” from home.
On the 1st day of the 2nd week, the students warmed up quickly and were talking about their weekends. I launched the lesson this day on loops. We watched a short YouTube video on loops that demonstrated loops being sequences of instructions that are continually repeated until a certain condition is met. I gave an example of putting change into a vending machine, and one student explained that it was like brushing his teeth or doing dishes every day. I then told them that we were going to be teaching each other a dance that they were going to make in groups. Specifically, the dance had to have at least five distinct dance moves and that they needed to loop at least two of the moves three times. I also said that they could pick a school-appropriate song to go along with their dances. One group did not want to do the activity at all and included the student who appeared very disengaged on day 2. I told them that the dance moves could be as simple as sitting down and standing up or taking a step right or left and that they could select a funny song. Soon after that, I saw them laughing and having fun. At the end of class, every group had a dance to share. We played the music on the big screen, and we all danced along and laughed at their instructions.
Day 6 was my final lesson. Over the next 2 days, students would be going on a field trip to my university and presenting their Genius Hour challenges to school stakeholders. They were excited when I told them that they would get to play with LEGO® kits again. I then told students that they would be using the kits to make robots that secured garbage cans to prevent “garbage can-nappers”; I instructed them to use loops of sound, motion, or lights in their code to prevent theft. The students got creative in this project, and four groups created robots. One group built and coded a robot that moved around the trash can and made noise if it sensed something too close. Another team had a robot that moved and made a farting noise if the motion sensor was triggered. Another team made a robot that moved forward toward the person stealing the garbage can and made noise. The kids figured out the motors, sounds, and lights by themselves. They were all working as a team and taking all the knowledge to create their robots. When they presented their designs, the confidence and pride on their faces were incredibly rewarding. I loved hearing their thought processes and seeing how much they learned. When they had finished presenting, I told them just how proud I was of them. When I had them write their reflections and attitudes toward CS, I was over the moon that most of my students felt positive and excited about CS.
Discussion
Michael Lachney, Jean Roo and Rafi Santo (2021) profoundly express the importance of naming injustices in CS and challenging the field to move toward transformative approaches when stating,
We cannot narrow the issues within computing to those of equitable access or participation if we desire to orient computing and computing education toward justice goals; we need systemic understandings of the historical realities, power dynamics, and material conditions that produce injustices, as well as how computing is implicated in them. And we must go further still; we also need justice-centered visions of change with associated strategies and tactics to support researchers, technologists, and educators in working within and challenging systems of oppression and domination. (p. 2)
Gislaine’s trajectory in CS and experiences mentoring youth offers a distinctive counternarrative that names her realities and the injustices in K-12 and computer science as well as portrays how she sees opportunities for transformative change. In essence, Gislaine’s personal journey navigating her social and cultural identities within the field enables her to recognize the marginalization of students of color in educational systems and CS environments. This insight guides her approach to mentoring, encouraging others to view their identities as assets in the field.
Intersectionality in computing
Gislaine’s counternarrative reveals a complex interplay between her cultural and social identities with computer science, that addresses a research gap in the field (Jacob, Montoya and Warschauer 2022). As a child, Gislaine was keenly aware of her family’s challenging financial circumstances. She witnessed their struggles firsthand, from the necessity of moving in with her aunt to navigating the various hardships and transitions within her home. This included enduring the strain of poverty, the upheaval of having to relocate to live with extended family and witnessing the deportation of her father. Throughout it all, she saw her mother bearing the weight of ensuring the family’s survival and making ends meet amidst considerable adversity.
Gislaine’s experience of feeling different from her peers and grappling with isolation as one of the few Mexican girls in her classes is a theme among racially and ethnically marginalized children navigating predominantly white educational spaces. Similarities can be drawn between her experiences and those shared by other marginalized students seeking visibility and recognition within the K-12 school system (e.g., Thomas, Joseph, Williams and Burge 2018). To cope with these challenges, Gislaine embraced the identity of being a “smart girl” and took on the role of a teacher to her peers, even as early as elementary school. This coping mechanism mirrors the accounts of Black women in a study conducted by Ebony McGee, Gerek Griffith and Stacey Houston (2019) who fought daily to prove themselves to their instructors and peers. Despite seeing herself as smart, Gislaine distinctly recalls not being tested for the gifted and talented program. This account signals the detrimental impact of standardized assessment practices that have been historically gatekeeping the field of STEM, limiting access and opportunities to White and higher income groups (Gutiérrez 2012).
In her article “Young, Black, Mathematically Gifted, and Stereotyped,” Ebony McGee (2013) explains that while being labeled as “smart” can serve as a coping mechanism for some marginalized students, it can still present challenges. These challenges arise from the societal stereotypes and expectations that these students face, which can exacerbate feelings of vulnerability and anxiety about their abilities. Ebony McGee elaborates that being labeled as “smart” can sometimes lead to a narrow perception of one’s identity, overshadowing other aspects of their personality and potential interests. This can restrict their opportunities for self-expression and personal growth, as well as reinforce societal notions of what success looks like, often at the expense of individual well-being and fulfillment. For Gislaine, this was the case in high school when she began to distance herself from activities that were not directly related to academics and that her family could afford.
Gislaine’s transition to high school marked a pivotal period in her educational journey, introducing her to new opportunities such as joining a college-readiness program and attending Governor’s School, where she was exposed to computer science (CS) for the first time. Having always received encouragement from teachers and peers about her potential as a future educator, Gislaine had internalized the identity of a prospective teacher. This perception of herself was reinforced by her acceptance into the college-readiness program, which offered her a scholarship to pursue teaching at a local university. The financial assistance provided by the program not only eased her path to college but also shaped her vision of her future educational and career trajectory. However, Gislaine’s aspirations of becoming a teacher encountered a shift when her mentor encouraged her to apply to Governor’s School. The advanced STEM coursework offered at Governor’s School influenced her to diverge from her initial career aspirations in teaching, prompting her to reconsider her professional trajectory and identity. During this period, Gislaine’s experiences were significantly influenced by adult mentors, highlighting the crucial role that educators and supportive adults can play in facilitating equitable access to education (Mouza, Marzocchi, Pan and Pollock 2016). Gislaine’s educational journey underscores the intricate interplay between intersecting identities, evolving aspirations, and the transformative impact of supportive mentors, highlighting the resilience and adaptability required to navigate educational experiences as a marginalized individual.
Gislaine’s entrance into a predominantly white liberal arts college made her acutely aware of the inequitable opportunities that were afforded to many of her white and wealthier peers. Her experiences in college CS courses caused her to question her “smart girl” identity as she experienced imposter syndrome (Clance and Imes 1978) and feelings of inferiority compared to her peers. Gislaine’s experiences highlight the impact of systemic inequalities and cultural biases within the CS department, and introductory STEM courses broadly, where assumptions of prior knowledge and explicit efforts to “weed out” low performers contribute to a hostile learning environment for marginalized students (McCoy, Luedke, and Winkle-Wagner 2017). These challenges are further compounded by the lack of representation and support for students from underrepresented backgrounds, exacerbating feelings of isolation and self-doubt. Amidst these difficulties, Gislaine finds solace and support in her friendship with a fellow CS peer who is also an underrepresented woman in the field. Their mutual understanding and solidarity provide a source of resilience and empowerment, similar to findings on other Latinas in CS (Esquinca, Villa, Hampton, Ceberio and Wandermurem 2015), enabling them to navigate the challenges of the major together and find strength in their shared experiences.
Intersectionality and transformative practices in computer science
Experiences in advanced high school CS classes and participation in the robotics team were transformational for Gislaine, shaping her love for the field, and informing her vision for mentoring. These experiences gave her a new community of like-minded peers, challenged her, and fostered a passion for using technology to address societal challenges. Echoing the culturally responsive elements of effective CS curriculum and instructional practices, which prioritize leveraging students’ strengths, promoting collectivism, and framing CS as a tool for social justice (e.g., Englash 2021), Gislaine hoped to replicate these experiences in her CS lessons for middle school students during summer school. Her goal was to create inclusive, non-intimidating, and relevant lessons that instilled a sense of capability and belonging in the students. Gislaine approached her lessons without assumptions about students’ prior knowledge, ensuring that every student could access the curriculum and participate fully. This approach reflects her commitment to providing equitable learning experiences and aligns with recommendations for dismantling barriers for marginalized groups in educational settings (Margolis, Ryoo, Sandoval, Lee, Goode, and Chapman 2012).
In her role as a mentor, Gislaine demonstrates a deep understanding of the intersecting identities and lived experiences of the middle school students who she worked with, recognizing the importance of empathy and cultural relevance in fostering their engagement and success in computer science (CS). Despite not sharing the same racial background as her students, Gislaine takes pride in her identity as a successful Latina in CS, serving as a role model for her students who may not have previously seen individuals from racially minoritized groups excel in the field. Her own experiences lacking role models from similar backgrounds inform her approach to mentoring, as she prioritizes building students’ confidence and creating a supportive learning environment where they feel empowered to explore and experiment with coding.
Gislaine’s emphasis on cultural relevance is evident in her tailored approach to lesson planning, which incorporated examples and activities that resonate with her students’ interests and experiences. By using everyday examples such as cooking and gaming to teach coding concepts, Gislaine ensures that her lessons are accessible and relatable, especially for students who may struggle with abstract concepts. This approach reflects her own struggles in learning to shift her perspective when she started coding, highlighting her empathy and understanding of the challenges her students may face. Moreover, Gislaine’s commitment to hands-on, interactive learning experiences, exemplified by her use of Codesters and Spike Prime LEGO kits, not only encourages student engagement but also reflects her understanding of the diverse needs of her students. When faced with a student who struggled to follow directions, Gislaine embraced their unique approach to the curriculum, celebrating their creativity in building a hedgehog game. Additionally, she demonstrated flexibility by adapting her teaching methods, shifting the lesson outdoors and engaging students in interactive games. Gislaine’s commitment to student-centered teaching is evident in her reflective practice and continuous assessment of her teaching strategies. She values student feedback and incorporates their voices and perspectives into her lesson planning, fostering a sense of ownership and agency among her students.
Conclusions and implications
Gislaine’s narrative emphasizes the importance of recognizing students’ social and cultural identities in shaping their educational journeys, highlighting the need to humanize the field of CS and leverage diverse identities as assets for success. Her insights offer valuable implications for CS educators and stakeholders, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges faced by marginalized individuals in navigating educational spaces dominated by whiteness and privilege. Additionally, Gislaine’s journey underscores the transformative potential of supportive mentorship and culturally responsive teaching practices in fostering engagement and empowerment among marginalized students, offering a model for creating inclusive learning environments. Her experiences underscore the urgent need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in STEM education to address systemic biases and barriers hindering the success of underrepresented groups. Overall, Gislaine’s counternarrative serves as a powerful testament to the resilience, agency, and transformative potential of individuals from marginalized backgrounds within computer science education. By centering the voices and experiences of individuals such as Gislaine, researchers, educators, and policymakers can work toward creating more equitable, accessible, and inclusive educational environments that empower all students to thrive and succeed. Building on Sepehr Vakil’s call to reconceptualize opportunities, curriculum, and teaching approaches in CS through the lens of students’ identities, we advocate for educators to intentionally create spaces for marginalized youth to guide directions for a more inclusive and socially just approach to CS education.
Declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
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