Integrating Culture, Art, Geometry, and Coding to Enhance Computer Science Motivation Among Underrepresented Minoritized High School Students

In response to the underrepresentation of minoritized groups employed in the computer science (CS) field, this study aims to enhance underrepresented minoritized (URM) students’ motivation for CS through an intervention informed by culturally relevant pedagogy theory in a required high school mathematics course. This intervention integrated culture, art, geometry, and coding through the virtual presentation of a Native American star quilt design using Python coding language and a video of a CS role model of Latino descent. Participants were 133 URM high school students across six 10th grade geometry classes. Three of the six geometry classes were randomly assigned to receive the intervention. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis were conducted to assess the effects of this intervention. Results indicated that the intervention had a positive effect on the development of URM students’ computer science-oriented possible selves. Moreover, several qualitative themes emerged in how URM students connected with the CS role model.