Developing Introductory Computer Science Pedagogy for Black Boys

Broadening participation in computing research and initiatives have addressed the longstanding underrepresentation of various populations - including women, Black people, Latinx people, and persons with disabilities. Although there has been an increase in underrepresented populations participating in computing, there is still a need to further investigate and build on these efforts considering there is limited research on the participation of black boys. This position paper discusses the need for an increase in Black male participation in computer science and proposes a framework for developing an introductory computer science curriculum tailored for black middle school boys. This paper will support the proposed framework by identifying factors for how boys learn and the unique needs of black boys in an educational context; then merging those factors with effective strategies used for women and people of color participating in computer science.