UC San Diego

Computer Science is one of the most rapidly expanding career fields and high schools across the country have responded by increasing access to programming courses by over 300% in the last decade (College Board, 2020a; College Board, 2020b; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). However, as job openings and course access increase, racial and gender gaps within tech industries continue to present an array of problems that range from stifled creativity to racially biased software (Bobb, 2016; Hoever, Van Knippenberg, Van Ginkel, & Barkema, 2012; Lee, 2018; Rock & Grant, 2019; Sandvig, 2016; Stevens, 2008; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Thus, as access to Computer Science in secondary schools increases, so must educator understanding of how to support underrepresented students within these courses.

Collaboration is widely recognized as an instructional strategy that supports both social emotional and academic success. However, the specific role this strategy plays in CS classes has primarily been explored through quantitative research efforts with minimal focus on the lived experiences and perspectives of these underrepresented students. The research presented in this dissertation contributes to this growing understanding by using a primarily qualitative lens to examine the impact that structured collaboration has on the experiences of underrepresented students in high school CS courses. Building upon existing research, this study provides additional support for the use of accountability structures as a means of transforming peer interaction into Cooperative Learning. By amplifying the voices of Black, Latinx, and female students within high school CS classes, this study provides a better understanding of how instructional strategies can be leveraged to support these students.

The results of this research capture the strengths and shortfalls that students perceive when engaging in Cooperative Learning activities. Key findings include student concern over how effort and voice are distributed during collaboration, individual increases in content confidence and creativity attested to the exchange of ideas, and an intrinsic need to feel connected and comfortable with their peers. Through these perceived relationships between collaboration, academic growth, and social emotional well-being, this study highlights several opportunities for educators to better engage and support underrepresented students within high school CS courses.