Influences of Precollege Out-of-School Time Computer Science Experiences on Students' Career Interest in Computer Science
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| Title: | Influences of Precollege Out-of-School Time Computer Science Experiences on Students' Career Interest in Computer Science |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Rongxiu Wu (ORCID |
| Source: | ACM Transactions on Computing Education. 2026 26(1). |
| Availability: | Association for Computing Machinery. 1601 Broadway 10th Floor, New York, NY 10119. Tel: 800-342-6626; Tel: 212-626-0500; Fax: 212-944-1318; e-mail: acmhelp@acm.org; Web site: http://toce.acm.org/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | 202956 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Vocational Interests, Computer Science Education, College Freshmen, Career Choice, Student Characteristics, High School Students, Student Experience, Sex, Race, Ethnicity, Programming, After School Programs |
| DOI: | 10.1145/3770069 |
| ISSN: | 1946-6226 |
| Abstract: | Background and context: Although out-of-school time (OST) computer science (CS) experiences during the high school years have been considered an efficacious means to cultivate students' career interest in CS, there has been a paucity of rigorous research on the topic. Objective: Examine the effects of a wide variety of OST activities on students' career interest in CS. Method: We carried out a retrospective cohort study, collecting data from a nationally representative sample of 6,044 U.S. first year university students. From 27 survey items about OST CS-related activities during high school, we first selected a list of top-ranking influential variables through machine learning. Then, a multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between these top-ranking variables and students' career interests at the end of high school. Findings: The analysis showed that high school aged students' participation in unstructured CS-related activities (e.g., "talking about CS with family or friends"); structured CS-related activities (e.g., "CS-related summer camps or programs"); along with the opportunities that students experienced during OST CS programs/activities (e.g., "designing their own CS projects") boosted interest in a CS career vis-à-vis careers in other-STEM or non-STEM fields. It also showed that engaging in some activities (e.g., "using social media") was associated with a decreased likelihood of intending a CS career, compared to a career in other-STEM or non-STEM fields. An interaction effect between having a prior career interest in CS and "creating blogs/podcasts/video" was also observed. Implications: First large-scale analysis of CS OST related activities on CS career interest. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1497496 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background and context: Although out-of-school time (OST) computer science (CS) experiences during the high school years have been considered an efficacious means to cultivate students' career interest in CS, there has been a paucity of rigorous research on the topic. Objective: Examine the effects of a wide variety of OST activities on students' career interest in CS. Method: We carried out a retrospective cohort study, collecting data from a nationally representative sample of 6,044 U.S. first year university students. From 27 survey items about OST CS-related activities during high school, we first selected a list of top-ranking influential variables through machine learning. Then, a multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between these top-ranking variables and students' career interests at the end of high school. Findings: The analysis showed that high school aged students' participation in unstructured CS-related activities (e.g., "talking about CS with family or friends"); structured CS-related activities (e.g., "CS-related summer camps or programs"); along with the opportunities that students experienced during OST CS programs/activities (e.g., "designing their own CS projects") boosted interest in a CS career vis-à-vis careers in other-STEM or non-STEM fields. It also showed that engaging in some activities (e.g., "using social media") was associated with a decreased likelihood of intending a CS career, compared to a career in other-STEM or non-STEM fields. An interaction effect between having a prior career interest in CS and "creating blogs/podcasts/video" was also observed. Implications: First large-scale analysis of CS OST related activities on CS career interest. |
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| ISSN: | 1946-6226 |
| DOI: | 10.1145/3770069 |
