TY - JOUR
T1 - Career aspirations, perceived instrumentality, and achievement in undergraduate computer science courses
AU - Peteranetz, Markeya S.
AU - Flanigan, Abraham E.
AU - Shell, Duane F.
AU - Soh, Leen Kiat
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - This research investigated the relationships among undergraduate computer science students’ computer-science-related career aspirations, perceived instrumentality (PI) for computer science courses, and achievement in those courses. Specifically, the two studies examined (a) change in PI and career aspirations during a single semester, (b) the relationship between change in career aspirations and change in PI, and (c) the influence of career aspirations, PI, and change in career aspirations and PI on achievement in computer science courses. Findings from both studies revealed that students experienced a decrease in endogenous PI and career aspirations and an increase in exogenous PI during the semester. Study 1 showed that non-computer science majors experienced greater shifts in PI and career aspirations than computer science majors. Study 2 showed that the change in PI happened in parallel and was curvilinear, with more change happening in the first half of the semester than the second half. Both studies also showed that computer-science-related career aspirations were associated with PI, and that aspirations and PI had a stronger relationship with scores on a computer science knowledge test than with course grades. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
AB - This research investigated the relationships among undergraduate computer science students’ computer-science-related career aspirations, perceived instrumentality (PI) for computer science courses, and achievement in those courses. Specifically, the two studies examined (a) change in PI and career aspirations during a single semester, (b) the relationship between change in career aspirations and change in PI, and (c) the influence of career aspirations, PI, and change in career aspirations and PI on achievement in computer science courses. Findings from both studies revealed that students experienced a decrease in endogenous PI and career aspirations and an increase in exogenous PI during the semester. Study 1 showed that non-computer science majors experienced greater shifts in PI and career aspirations than computer science majors. Study 2 showed that the change in PI happened in parallel and was curvilinear, with more change happening in the first half of the semester than the second half. Both studies also showed that computer-science-related career aspirations were associated with PI, and that aspirations and PI had a stronger relationship with scores on a computer science knowledge test than with course grades. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
KW - Career aspirations
KW - Computer science education
KW - Future time perspective
KW - Motivation
KW - Perceived instrumentality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041428573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.006
DO - 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.006
M3 - Article
SN - 0361-476X
VL - 53
SP - 27
EP - 44
JO - Contemporary Educational Psychology
JF - Contemporary Educational Psychology
ER -