Women More Likely to Have a Sense of Belonging in Coding Bootcamps than University Computer Science Programs

ABSTRACTResearch shows a sense of belonging increases the likelihood of undergraduate computer science retention, though literature currently lacks a coding bootcamp perspective. The qualitative study described in this poster found that men maintained a mostly consistent sense of belonging in four-year computer science programs and coding bootcamps while women had a heightened sense of belonging in coding bootcamps compared to four-year computer science programs. However, men's sense of belonging was impacted by intrinsic factors such as chronically feeling like an outcast, whereas women's was entirely impacted by extrinsic factors such as classroom gender composition and their program's culture. Gender nonconforming bootcamp graduates were impacted by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.