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First Year Computing Students’ Career Choice Influencers

  • Conference paper
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ICT Education (SACLA 2023)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1862))

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Abstract

Research indicates that first year students who have chosen a career in Computer Science (CS), Information Systems (IS), Information Technology (IT) and other related computing subjects were generally influenced by parents, teachers, and role models. Current research indicates that exposure to new technologies, gaming and programming Apps at school level can influence a scholar’s IT career choice. Theories relating to career choice have focused on the characteristics of individuals and their environment. Presently, CS/IS/IT departments do not know who or what influenced first year students to pursue a career in IT. Understanding first year students’ academic IT career choices influencers would assist academic departments to improve methods and strategies to recruit first year CS, IS and IT students.

The purpose of this study was to determine who or what influenced current registered first year students to choose an IT career. A questionnaire was completed by first year CS, IS and IT students at a Comprehensive University. The findings contradict the literature, which states that parents and teachers, influence a first-year student’s IT career choice. Thirty-five percent of the respondents did not know their farther, 19% did not know their mother and 38% did not know their father’s occupation. Social media and IT role models were important influencers for first year CS/IS/IT students speaking an African language at home. This study introduces an innovative gaming project introduced at schools in order to introduce school children, parents and teachers to coding.

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Acknowledgement

The paper is based on post-graduate research conducted by Twani [37] in the Department of Computing Sciences at the Nelson Mandela University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nelson Mandela University Business School, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Margaret Cullen

  2. Department of Computing Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Andre P. Calitz, Malibongwe Twani & Jean Greyling

Authors
  1. Margaret Cullen
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  2. Andre P. Calitz
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  3. Malibongwe Twani
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  4. Jean Greyling
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andre P. Calitz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Henri Emil Van Rensburg

  2. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Dirk Petrus Snyman

  3. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Lynette Drevin

  4. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Günther Richard Drevin

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Cullen, M., Calitz, A.P., Twani, M., Greyling, J. (2024). First Year Computing Students’ Career Choice Influencers. In: Van Rensburg, H.E., Snyman, D.P., Drevin, L., Drevin, G.R. (eds) ICT Education. SACLA 2023. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1862. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48536-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48536-7_12

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