Development of Computational Thinking through STEM Activities for the Promotion of Gender Equality

Abstract

In the article, the authors evaluate the computational thinking skills according to gender of a group of male and female students of industrial engineering and systems engineering from universities located in the Andean region of Peru; the five key skills were evaluated: abstraction, decomposition, generalization, algorithmic design, and evaluation. To strengthen computational thinking, activities related to agriculture, livestock, the environment, safety, and education were proposed, which are of interest to the community where the students live. The research methodology followed is quasi-experimental of the post-test type with intentional non-probabilistic sampling. During the development of the activities, the students used microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators; thus, they also used block-based programming to implement hardware and software prototypes. The results have shown, according to the inferential analysis, that there are no significant differences between male and female students in any of the computational thinking skills. These results were due to the educational strategy applied in the development of STEM activities, which focused on solving real problems in the student community and generated the same enthusiasm in female and male students compared to other activities that only generated motivation in male students.

Level of Computational Thinking and Technological Literacy Skills to Improve pre-Service Teacher Learning Innovation

“…and task learning skills (TLS) have the least proficiency in learning innovative skills. Prospective teachers with a restricted degree of Computational Thinking skills will encounter challenges when it comes to creating learning techniques that make use of analytical approaches and creative solutions (Demarle-Meusel et al, 2017;Jacob et al, 2020;Lampropoulos et al, 2023;Paucar-Curasma, Cerna-Ruiz, et al, 2023). A lack of proficiency in technological literacy may hamper the effective incorporation of digital materials and technologies into the curriculum.…”

Investigating perceptions of primary and preschool educators regarding incorporation of educational robotics into STEM education

“…Educational robotics facilitates the development of crucial technical skills and programming proficiency (Gavrilas et al, 2024a;Gura, 2012;Hallström & De Vries, 2024). Students can actively design and assemble diverse objects, gaining a solid understanding of programming concepts (Ibrahim et al, 2020;Papadakis et al, 2022;Paucar-Curasma et al, 2023). Research demonstrates that Lego educational robotics kits enable students to easily grasp science and mathematics concepts, empowering them to solve mathematical problems involving proportions, positive and negative numbers, square roots, and algebraic equations (Allen, 2013;Estivill-Castro, 2020;Kelana et al, 2020;Rahman, 2021;Whitman & Witherspoon, 2003).…”

Challenges to Female Engineers’ Employment in the Conservative and Unstable Society of Taiz State, Yemen: A Survey Study

“…Challenges and barriers experienced by female engineers, their career adaptability, as well as their motivation toward the engineering profession, have been investigated [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]39,40,[45][46][47][48][49][50]. These challenges are mainly the previously referred to sociocultural norms and accepted traditions, which vary in different societies.…”

“…This is plausibly attributed to the additional complex socio-cultural barriers, gender discrimination, severe engineering responsibilities, family constraints, and an unhealthy work environment. The problem is not only finding employment, as it is also complicated; women, to some extent, are not compatible with STEM courses [11][12][13][14]. For that, their admission proportion in engineering disciplines is low, while the college dropout of engineering students is ultimately high [15].…”