Date of Award
8-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Executive Leadership
First Supervisor
Dr. Josephine Moffett
Second Supervisor
Dr. Janice Kelly
Abstract
In a rapidly digitizing economy, only 6% of computer scientists in the United States are identified as Black. This phenomenological research study focused on the personal attributes, academic experiences, and non-academic (support) experiences that Black computer science graduates perceive as contributing to their persistence in computing careers. Data were collected, transcribed, coded, and analyzed from semi-structured interviews of 11 Black computer science graduates. Community cultural wealth theory, critical race theory, and social capital theory framed this study's findings. The findings revealed that Black computer science graduates hold a strong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) identity and a positive social identity. Academic experiences rely on a mastery orientation to learning, including a growth mindset and advanced academics. Non-academic (support) experiences heavily rely on the empowering community, the village, that surrounds Black computer science graduates, and counterspaces that mitigate racial trauma. Recommendations presented are focused on enhancing the STEM curriculum in K-12 education to equally include social-emotional skill-building and learning practices and shifting higher education pedagogy toward effectively instructing diverse learners in STEM majors. These findings can impact Black representation in the tech industry by empowering educators, parents, and the community to better support and inspire Black students to pursue and thrive in computer science careers.
Recommended Citation
McDaniel-Francis, Marissa, "A Few Good Techies: A Qualitative Exploration of Black Computer Science Graduate Perceptions of Persistence from a Community Cultural Wealth Perspective" (2024). Education Doctoral. Paper 605.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/605
Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations.