2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This five-year, parallel, mixed-methods research study funded by the investigates the influence of community cultural wealth (CCW) ([deidentified], 20XX; Yosso, 2005) on the persistence of Black and Hispanic women in the computing pipeline, to inform strategies that promote equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing (STEM+C). Given the persistent underrepresentation of women of color in STEM+C, this study draws on the CCW framework to analyze the role of cultural capital in supporting the persistence of Black and Hispanic women in computing.

Four key research questions guide this examination of: (1) how CCW impacts a national cohort of Black and Hispanic students in grades 9-12 in persisting through STEM+C degree programs and/or entering the workforce; (2) how CCW supports a Texas cohort of women at Hispanic Serving institutions (HSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in pursuing computing degrees, graduate education, or careers; (3) their successful educational and career trajectories from grades 8-17; and (4) how CCW shapes their counter-life-herstories in computing education and careers.

This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, incorporating secondary data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) along with primary data collected through the [deidentified] survey and semi-structured [deidentified] interviews with Black and Hispanic women studying computing at HSIs and HBCUs. A modified community cultural wealth model was applied to analyze the HSLS:09 cohort, 209 survey respondents (males and females), and 35 female interviewees, offering insights into better-supporting women of color in STEM+C education.

Among the cohort of 209 participants, statistical analyses revealed that aspirational, social, and familial forms of cultural capital significantly influenced Black and Hispanic students’ enrollment and persistence in computing majors. Through qualitative thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), it was found that aspects of aspirational (e.g., career and financial aspirations), social (e.g., peers, educators, and role models), and navigational (e.g., independent information gathering), capitals strongly influenced the persistence of women of color in undergraduate computing programs, with aspirational capital playing the most significant role in helping them overcome intrinsic barriers and lack of support in this male-dominated computing field.

Findings from this study contribute to fundamental research in STEM+C education, and products including an online [deidentified] portal and an annual [deidentified] conference will build capacity for K-16 educators, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders in formal and informal settings to positively impact the persistence of Black and Hispanic youth in STEM and computing. This award is supported by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and EHR Core Research (ECR) Programs.