03/06/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

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

Candidate: Leon Tynes
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling, STEM
Defense Date: March 19, 2026
Time: 3:45 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Fostering Persistence in Computer Science: A Study to Enhance Belonging and Self-Efficacy a Single-Sex High School Compulsory Java Course

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: William Goldsworthy, Ed.D., Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Eleanor Abrams, Ph.D., Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

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.