03/05/2026
By Leon Tynes

The College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Education, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Leon Tynes entitled "Fostering Persistence in Computer Science: A Study to Enhance Belonging and Self-Efficacy in a Single-Sex High School Compulsory Java Course."

Candidate Name: Leon Tynes
Degree: Doctoral - Leadership in Schooling (STEM)
Defense Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026
Time: 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom 

Dissertation Committee:

  • Dissertation Chair: William Goldsworthy, Adjunct Professor, UMass Lowell
  • Eleanor Abrams, Ph.D., Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, UMass Lowell


Brief Abstract:
Despite exponential international growth in the tech industry, the low representation of women in K-12 computer science (CS) is still a persistent equity issue. At Excellence College Preparatory (ECP), an all-girls high school, a required introductory Java course has not been well received, with elective CS enrollment at just 4%. Using an Improvement Science framework, this dissertation-in-practice aimed to improve 10th-grade students' sense of belonging and self-efficacy in CS. This quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study used a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, in which 73 students participated in a 10-week cycle comprising two interventions. The first was a historical unit on women in computing, but the researcher could not implement the second, authentic, collaborative project-based learning (PBL) task. Quantitative data were collected using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Computer Science Sense of Belonging Scale (CSSBS), combined into a single survey. The study also employed the Draw-A-Computer-Scientist Test (DACST) and student interviews. The quantitative results on belonging and self-efficacy showed no statistically significant differences pre- and post-intervention. However, qualitative findings demonstrated a reduction in male-dominated stereotypes. Students' perceptions of CS expanded after the historical mini-unit. Post-study recommendations include increased identity-affirming pedagogy, greater inclusion of historical women in computing activities, authentic PBL in the introductory course, and teacher professional development centered on equity.