In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest at a policy level in the benefits of providing computing as a school subject. Many of the arguments centre around global equity in an increasingly technological society. A 2021 report from Brookings entitled ‘Building Skills for Life‘ highlighted that educating citizens about computer science can strengthen a country’s economic situation and tackle inequality between countries. The report states that “global development gaps will only be expected to widen if low-income countries’ investments in these domains [computing-related subjects] falter while high-income countries continue to move ahead” (p. 12). Meanwhile, research in the US has shown that low access to CS educational opportunities and resources are critical drivers of STEM participation gaps. A 2023 UNESCO report on technology in education describes an increasing gender gap in digital skills in 50 countries, with just 3.2% of females able to write a computer program compared to 6.5% of males.
We are commencing a longitudinal project investigating where and how computing is being introduced into the curriculum globally, including looking at the issues faced in both policy and practice. This builds on our previous work to survey teachers in different countries around the world about their experience of computing in school.
We are building on our previous work:
This project is at an early stage. More information to follow!