Pair programming, confidence and gender considerations at a South African University

Abstract

As in most Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) fields, women in computer science continue to be underrepresented (Cohoon/Aspray 2006; Ilias/Kordaki 2006). This shortage of women raises critical concerns surrounding women's rights and their participation in education and science. In South Africa, this shortage is also relevant to the country's socio-democratic transformation efforts and critical skills shortages. Given that women are under-represented in computer science and that this has social and economic consequences, it becomes increasingly pertinent to conduct an examination that addresses discrepancies between women and men studying computer science at the university level. It is also relevant to examine pair programming as a teaching-learning strategy that may help students (particularly women) succeed.