Gender Differences in Computational Thinking Skills among Primary and Secondary School Students: A Systematic Review

Abstract

With the rise of the concept of gender equality and the emphasis on computational thinking, more and more research on computational thinking is being placed in the context of gender differences to promote gender equality. This systematic review examines and analyzes 23 articles that focus on gender differences in computational thinking skills among primary and secondary school students, providing a comprehensive overview of the existing literature while also providing direction and framework for future research. The results show that (1) the current research is imbalanced across regions and age groups, and the research on inherent gender differences in computational thinking skills remains insufficient; (2) the development of a clearer and more specific definition of computational thinking and corresponding assessment instrument is required for a more specific identification of gender differences; (3) under the existing educational environments, gender differences in computational thinking skills among students in different regions exhibit different pattern; and (4) interventional factors contributing to gender effects in interventions have also been identified.