Perceptions of females in undergraduate computer science/technology programs toward the field of computer science: A mixed methods study

This mixed-methods study was based on 35 online surveys and 11 follow-up telephone interviews of undergraduate female students enrolled in online or traditional face-to-face computer science/technology programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist in perceptions and attitudes toward the field of computer science/technology between these two groups. Three accredited not-for-profit Midwestern universities offering either online or traditional face-to-face programs in computer science/technology participated in this study. This study utilized the Computer Science Attitude Survey (CSAS) (Weibe, Williams, Yang, & Miller, 2003) to collect survey data. The five survey subscales were analyzed using t-tests. Due to the small survey response rate, Mann-Whitney U tests were also conducted. Results of these tests indicated no significant difference in the perception and attitudes of these two groups toward the field of computer science/technology. An analysis of the interview data resulted in the discovery of five themes: Grown to Like Computer Science, Prior Computer Experience, Encouragement, Faculty Accessibility, and Small Class Size.