Gender gap perceptions of computing students: a case study in two Spanish universities

Abstract

Reducing the gender gap is one of the main challenges that society is facing. Equality, not only of women but of different gender identities, is one of the European Union's priorities, as well as of a large part of the developed countries. In particular, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the gender gap is visible both in the academic and professional fields. In higher education, according to the Women in Digital Scoreboard, in Europe, only 17% of ICT specialists are women. This figure is lower in Spain, with only 16%. According to the Ministry of Education in Spain, the percentage of women in computer science studies in 2018-2019 was 12.93%. This study aims to analyze the perception of computing students concerning the gender gap in computer science studies. In particular, the study was carried out in two Spanish universities located in different regions (N=95).