Factors Influencing Young Women to Enroll in IT

Abstract

Despite the increasing number of initiatives that aim to promote Information Technology (IT) and encourage women to pursue IT degrees, the number of women in the field is still low. To better understand women’s motivations, we conducted a qualitative study with women enrolled in IT degrees at the Technical University of Munich. We found that a variety of factors affect decisions to enroll in the degrees, related to both individual and environmental factors. Some initiatives, such as IT courses, help to create awareness of IT, which is a first step in women considering the field. Financial aspects of the job and the perception of the possibility of a work-life balance play an important role in decision-making. Family and friends played an influential role, especially when they are in a STEM field, while teachers’ influence depended on how supportive they were. Furthermore, women also attributed personal characteristics, such as resilience, to their enrollment in IT.

1. Introduction

The number of software developers worldwide that are women is less than 10% [1]. The reasons for the low number of women in the field are complex, one of them being the low number of women enrolled in Information Technology (IT) degrees [2, 3, 4]. Despite the substantial research in the area, the number of women enrolled in IT degrees is still low in some countries, highlighting the need to better understand the reasons behind this [5, 6, 7]. In this study, we focus on what motivates women to enroll in IT degrees at a technical university in Germany.

In Germany, the percentage of women who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in IT was 19.6% in 2018, an increase from 10% in 2000—however, this number is still low [8, 9]. To better understand the reasons behind young women enrolling in these degrees and what initiatives they attend that could be influential in their decision, we organized interviews with eight students. This chapter will present the results of this study. To do so, this chapter is organized as follows. The next section briefly introduces the literature review. This is followed by the study. The chapter ends with a discussion and recommendations.

2. Related work

2.1 Diversity initiatives

To attract women in the field, a lot of time and money has been invested in initiatives that aim to address some of the difficulties women encounter and present IT as a viable career option. For example, in Australia, there have been over 300 initiatives aimed at promoting STEM among women with very few of these initiatives being evaluated and only one had public information evaluation that went beyond participants’ satisfaction [10]. A survey done in Australia found that women enrolled in IT degrees are exposed on average to more than five of these initiatives [6]. These have varying levels of success in influencing women to enroll in IT degrees [6]. It is not clear whether women enrolled in these initiatives are already thinking about pursuing a degree in IT and whether the initiatives support their decision or whether a decision to enroll is made as a result of these initiatives.

There have also been initiatives that have been successful. Some examples include computer science degree at Carnegie Mellon University that reached close to 50% in 2016–2018 and Harvey Mudd College that improved the percentage of women pursuing a computer science degree from 10% (2006) to 40% (2012) [10, 11]. Frieze and Quesenberry (2019) attributed the success to improving the curriculum for everyone rather than focusing on making it attractive for women only [11]. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, improvement in the number of women was obtained by changing stereotypes [12]. The Computing in Arts at the College of Charleston attracted and retained 46% of women by integrating creative expression in computer science units [13]. Postner et al. argue that working on a project that has a humanitarian focus could help retain women in computer science degrees [14]. These initiatives are a positive step toward understanding how to address some of the issues that improve women’s enrollment and retention.

In Germany, where this study takes place, the number of women in IT increased but at a slow pace. This study aims to better understand what initiatives motivate women to enroll in these degrees. However as the initiatives do not work in a vacuum, it was extended to other factors. The section below presents some of the research performed in Germany.

2.2 Gender diversity studies performed in Germany

Ihsen et al. surveyed students from nine technical universities in Germany [15]. The study has focused on four subjects in which the women have a low representation: physics, computer sciences, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. They found that men and women have similar reasons for choosing a degree. They found that informative events were perceived as useful to take away insecurities and find more information about a particular degree. The women feel socially accepted but also the pressure to prove that they can perform at the same level as men.

Petrovska et al. aimed to better understand the role of gender bias and identity in students enrolled in computer science at the Technical University of Munich, showing a correlation between gender and hidden bias [7].

Schneider et al. presented an evaluation of Engineera [16]. Engineera is a tutorial provided by the Technische Universität München, Germany, for women enrolled in engineering and information technology degrees. The program provides women opportunities to network, to visit companies, to work on projects and to attend information meetings. Students provided positive feedback on the tutorial activities and opportunities to establish connections.

Oehlhorn and Laumer interviewed women enrolled in information systems degrees in Germany [17]. Through the lenses of the theory of planned behavior, they found that women were influenced by normative beliefs (recommendations from family and friends), behavior beliefs (general expectations of the field, prior experience with IT, expectations comparative to other studies, job prospects, an alternative toward obtaining a different degree or admissions or other requirements) and control beliefs (feasibility) [18]. They recommend that institutions highlight to potential female applicants the opportunities and applications that a job in IT brings.

3. Methodology

This study aims to explore what factors influenced women to enroll in IT degrees at TUM and how they did so. We use semi-structured interviews to collect the data [19]. The interview protocol questions were designed based on the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (IDTGIT) [20]. In addition to these questions, participants were asked about initiatives they have participated in and how these influenced their decision. At the end, they were also asked whether there were any other aspects not covered in the interview that we should consider. The interviews took place either face to face on the university campus or online, and were conducted and analyzed in English. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from the authors’ institutions. Written participant consent was obtained and we agreed to maintain their anonymity—as such details about their demographic information were not disclosed as they could identify some of the women. The interviews were conducted by the first author to avoid any possible power relationship.

3.1 Theoretical model

Theoretical perspectives that aim to explain the representation of women in IT can be divided into three categories: gender essentialist perspective, the social shaping of gender and gender roles and intersectionality [20, 21]. The gender essentialist perspective focuses on bio-psychological differences to explain the low number of women; however, this theory seems to be undermined by the high number of women in IT fields in countries such as India.

The social shaping of gender roles aims to explain (lack of) diversity through the social shaping of gender and gender roles [22]. However, this theory primarily focuses on gender as a social construct without fully considering the impact of other factors, such as ethnicity, on the shaping of gender roles, and thus provides a limited understanding of the problem.

Intersectionality is another perspective which considers gender at the intersection of other factors [23, 24]. Based on this theory, Trauth & Connolly proposed the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (IDTGIT) [20]. It proposes that Environmental Influences, Individual Identity and Individual Influences affect women’s decisions. The theory provides a comprehensive overview of factors and hence, it was chosen as a theoretical basis for the interviews. However, it does not explain how these factors influence women’s choices, which is what our study aims to do.

3.2 Data collection

Eight women, students at TUM in IT degrees, participated in the study on a voluntary basis. We used convenience sampling. The interviews were conducted both online and in person, and took between 25 and 80 minutes. The interviews were recorded to facilitate data analysis.

3.3 Analysis

To facilitate data analysis, the interview recordings were transcribed. We employed theory driven coding (based on the IDTGIT) to analyze the data.

Following the IDTGIT, the codes were categorized into three main themes: Environmental, Identity and Individual. The Environmental factor included codes related to the economy, policy, culture, societal infrastructure and work-life balance. The Identity factors encompassed codes related to demographic traits and IT identity, shedding light on the intersectionality of gender and IT studies. Finally, the Individual factors included codes related to personal influences and characteristics, providing insights into participants’ unique experiences and perspectives.

4. Results

4.1 Environmental factors

Environmental factors are further grouped under three sub-themes: Economy, Policy and Work-Life Balance.

4.1.1 Economy

Overall, the interviews reveal that both job security and the possibility of earning a high income are environmental factors influencing female students’ decisions to pursue IT as a study major.

4.1.1.1 Job security

The reputation of being a field in which there are jobs available was considered by some of our participants, with various degrees of influence over their decision.

[..] the thing is, it’s like when you don’t know what to do and you’re indecisive it’s like, well, I might as well choose something that at least gives me money or gives me job, right? But I would say it was like a minor, a minor factor. (Interview 1)

4.1.1.2 High income

The ability to have at the end of a degree a job which pays well was significant for some interviewees. There were various reasoning as of why high income attracted students, and some of them described below: For some of them was important to avoid some of the restrictions imposed by the limited financial resources they have growing up:

I know how it was growing up with not a lot of money. Which wasn’t a bad I had a great childhood, but there were some restrictions […] when you choose a job or a career path, you have to think about the money. It’s the that’s how it is. And the financial plus in the tech industry have the opportunity to really, really accelerate and have a outstanding good wage and these are and you can live in almost every every country you want. This is a tech industry, gives you a freedom that almost no job in this time can give you. So this was a big motivation for me to go and tech as well because I had also other interests. But none of these jobs will give me this freedom. (Interview 3)

For others, it was the ability to be financially independent and the freedom that gives to pursue hobbies:

I always struggle with making decisions and I always have like a thousand things on my mind and a thousand hobbies at the same time and that I want to keep doing. So the idea of doing something that will probably make me financially independent in order to be able to do what I like to spend my time the way I want. (Interview 6)

Other factors include pragmatic consideration about the job market, one participant describing her decision as being based on “on this really pragmatic reasoning and looking about the opportunities” and parents’ nudges to select a job which has high earning potential.

We conclude from the interviews that the financial aspects played varying degrees of importance for the interviewees, with some considering it as a major factor, while others saw it as a secondary or minor consideration compared to their passion, practicality or other influencing factors.

4.1.2 Policy

After analyzing the interviews, several key findings emerge regarding the perceptions of gender policies in the IT field. The interviews reveal a nuanced perspective on gender policies in the IT field. While participants acknowledged the progress made in countries like Germany, they also identified areas where further advancements can be made. The importance of fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment was emphasized, along with the need to challenge societal norms and expectations regarding women’s roles. The opinions varied on the effectiveness of policies such as gender quotas, with concerns about potential biases and the desire for organic progress. It is evident that ongoing efforts are necessary to address the challenges and barriers that women may face in the IT industry. By creating equitable policies, promoting inclusive cultures, and challenging gender stereotypes, it is possible to achieve greater gender diversity and create opportunities for women to thrive in the IT field. However, these policies were not mentioned as a factor considered when deciding to enroll in an IT degree but rather something that women reflect on afterward.

4.1.3 Culture

The participants in our interviews came from diverse backgrounds. Some were born in Germany, others were born in Germany but first-generation immigrants and some were from countries where it was not that uncommon for women to enroll in IT degrees. The low number of women in IT did not deter these women to enroll.

So also being a woman doesn’t make a difference. You also you already have to work harder, so it doesn’t matter if you male or female, you’re already working hard. (Interview 3)

One woman reflected on the fact that she knew that moving in Germany there were fewer women in the field, and which is actually an advantage:

[…] being a minority is actually difficult and not like being a shining star. […] But again, at that time I was like, yeah, I would would have less competition. (Interview 8)

4.1.4 Societal infrastructure

Under societal infrastructure, the themes that evolve from our analysis are the availability of IT courses in high school and the presence of initiatives aiming to promote/familiarize students with IT degrees.

4.1.4.1 IT in high school

The interviews discussing IT classes in high school revealed that exposure to programming and informatics during this period did not impede women to enroll in an IT degree. The experience with an elective course in high school called informatics was discussed but also other courses that cover more general topics such as Microsoft Office and Excel. The decision to take such elective courses is made indicating a proactive interest in informatics.

I don’t know if that’s an initiative, but in my school we had an elective course that wasn’t mandatory, that was called Informatics. But that was not necessarily only informatics that you learn when you study informatics. It was more general also including how to use Microsoft Office or Excel, for example. And they also had some programming basics. I didn’t even hear of many university opportunities, so I have never been at a university during my school time or participate in anything which is a real pity I am thinking back now I would have loved to. I think that might have really motivated me more. (Interview 2)

4.1.4.2 Initiatives

The interviews focusing on initiatives presented to the interviewees indicated that these programs played a vital role in influencing the participants’ choices regarding IT. The presence of student organizations, mentorship programs, and women-centric initiatives were cited as sources of guidance, motivation, and a sense of belonging for female students in the IT field.

It was mentioned that no prior knowledge or exposure to informatics was received before enrolling in the StudiumMINT course. However, it was expressed that the course proved to be incredibly helpful and provided the participants with their first programming experience, which was found to be enjoyable and cool. This suggests that IT classes in high school and initiatives were influential in their decision to pursue IT. The StudiumMINT course played a significant role in shaping their interest and decision to pursue informatics. StudiumMINT is an introductory semester that provides an overview of degree programs in mathematics, technology and the natural sciences.

[interviewer]

And did you know before enrolling into this course [StudiumMINT] that you might want to go into informatics or did you only after this course to decide?

[name]

Only after this course, before I didn’t. It was super helpful. I had my first programming experience there and it was super cool. I had never had any contact at all with Informatics, like at all. (Interview 1)

I wasn’t sure what to do after graduating, so I wanted to take a gap year, which I did. I wanted to work and then see, uh, maybe travel and see some stuff in the other half of the year. And then Corona hit and then I just stayed where I was and kept working. Nothing special, just retail. And after I did the StudiumMINT here at home just to get an overview of the possibilities and I saw there were lectures that we could attend on games engineering and that was the first time I even considered computer science. (Interview 6)

The findings highlight the significance of both IT classes in high school and initiatives in shaping the choices and experiences of female students in IT. They play a role in generating interest and motivation among the participants.

4.1.5 Work-life balance

One of the new themes that emerge from the analysis is the concept of work-life balance. It encompasses two distinct aspects: family life expectations and remote work capability.

4.1.5.1 Family life expectations

Some participants express a desire to have a family in the future and acknowledge the need to balance their career aspirations with familial responsibilities. They consider the economic aspect of supporting a family and the potential challenges of managing time between their career and family life. For instance, the participants mention that they have always planned to have a family but are currently uncertain about how they will manage their goals and family life. They recognize the importance of thinking about how much time they will have for their career and family and are grappling with finding the right balance.

Yes, yes, it was definitely something I thought about. […] if I want to have a family, then i’ll also have to need to support that family, so this is also connected to this economic part of your future. But of course, as a woman you have to think about how much time you will have either for your career or for your family. (Interview 2)

On the other hand, some participants explicitly state that they do not want to have children. Those participants confidently state that they do not plan to have kids. This decision may be influenced by personal preferences, career goals or other factors not explicitly mentioned in the interview.

Actually since when I was young ever since I was young, I didn’t want to have kids. Maybe marriage or having a partner would be fine, but I didn’t want to have kids. (Interview 5)

The participants’ decisions regarding having a family or not highlight the individuality of these choices. Some prioritize their career aspirations, while others see family as an integral part of their lives. These diverse perspectives demonstrate that women’s decisions in the IT field are not solely influenced by societal expectations but are also shaped by personal experiences and goals.

Overall, the interviews highlight the complexity of balancing career and familial responsibilities for women in the IT field. The participants’ decisions regarding having a family or not reflect their individual preferences and considerations. It is important for the IT industry to recognize and accommodate these diverse choices, providing support and flexibility for women to pursue both their career ambitions and personal aspirations.

4.1.5.2 Remote work/home office

Several participants express their appreciation for the flexibility and work-life integration that remote work offers. They recognize the benefits of being able to work from home, spend time with their families, and have greater control over their schedules.

The ability to work from home is seen as a positive aspect of the IT field in Germany. The legal protection against discrimination for pregnant individuals and the ease of taking maternity leave indicate that the option of remote work can support a better work-life balance for individuals planning to start a family.

[…] once I started getting more into the sector, I kinda understood why women were not really going in and thinking about having like families. However, I think in Germany this is a little bit better because the leaves are easier if somebody is pregnant, they are not like discriminating against. You can’t ask somebody. It’s protected by the law. If they are planning to get pregnant in the future. (Interview 4)

Similarly, it is acknowledged that remote work has become more prevalent, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, as it is believed that many companies now embrace the concept of remote work, which allows individuals to work from anywhere. They express optimism about the possibility of having a good work-life balance, even with a partner or family, by enjoying the flexibility of working from home.

I guess especially like since Corona, now many companies are like opening up to the Home Office and programming can mostly always program from anywhere, unless you’re like a specific piece of hardware, right? And even then, it can probably have a teammate testing it for you on the other side. So that’s an option working from home even if it’s not everyday, maybe like 2 days when you can rest a bit at home. I don’t know. Take a bit more. Even with a partner or family. Just having, even if it’s like for just just the lunch break, you know, having lunch with the person from your home, I think it is super cool always. (Interview 1)

Additionally, the advantages of remote work in the tech industry are highlighted, particularly for individuals planning to become parents. The participants mentioned that remote work provides opportunities to spend more time with children and emphasizes the importance of simply being present for them. This suggests that the option of remote work can positively impact work-life integration and support individuals in achieving a better balance between their career and family responsibilities.

And the great thing also about the tech industry is when especially you plan on being a mother, maybe in the future you can work from home, you have the opportunity to spend like a lot of time with your children or just being there, it’s sometimes not even that you have to interact with them all the time, but just that it that your children know, OK, someone is there. (Interview 3)

Overall, the participants demonstrate a positive outlook on the option of remote work or home office. They appreciate the flexibility it offers and how it can contribute to better work-life balance, particularly in terms of spending time with family. The increasing acceptance and adoption of remote work in the IT industry are seen as favorable developments that can enhance work-life integration and accommodate the needs and aspirations of women choosing to pursue careers in this field.

4.1.6 Media representation of IT field

The participants’ experiences in the field of IT were viewed as an isolated experience, the view of the field as being represented by a young man hacking in a basement.

It wasn’t like that appealing to to a young woman to go into like informatics or computer science in general because you usually have like this image of like kind of the American viewpoint of some guy with, like, sweatshirts on and in his basement and something doing some kind of hacking which is completely not the reality. (Interview 3)

4.2 Individual factors

Individual factors were found to significantly influence women’s decisions to study IT. Supportive family members, inspiring peers, and personal qualities like resilience all played important roles in shaping their interest, motivation, and determination to pursue a career in the field of IT.

4.2.1 Personal influences

4.2.1.1 Parents

The analysis of the interviews revealed a significant influence of family support on the participants’ decisions to study IT, where the participants highlighted the pivotal role played by their parents in shaping their choices. Parents provided guidance, reasoning, and encouragement based on their understanding of the field and the participants’ abilities.

The participants’ parents served as role models, inspiring them to pursue a career in IT. They recognized their children’s potential and actively supported their decision to study informatics or related fields. The presence of supportive parents helped the participants overcome obstacles, such as a lack of role models or misconceptions about the field, and provided them with the confidence to pursue their chosen path. The participants’ families provided an environment of support, fostering a sense of belief in their capabilities and contributing to their overall decision-making process. The influence of family support was evident in the participants’ accounts, emphasizing the significance of parental guidance and encouragement in shaping educational and career choices.

It was mentioned that a significant role was played by the parents in supporting their decision to study informatics. Guidance was provided by their parents, and the good opportunities that studying informatics could offer for their future were highlighted.

I think the main reason or the main motivation were my parents because they always wanted to support me and my decision to what I studied and they thought that it’s good to guide your child. (Interview 2)

4.2.1.2 Father

The influence of fathers has been mentioned, where one of the respondents mentioned that her father recognized her analytical mind and encouraged her to pursue IT.

My dad who is a little bit in computer engineering and he explicitly said like ohh you have this analytical mind will be good in this field. So I think also this confirmation from your close environment that yeah you are good enough and you will do well im your studies, it was also that you feel more confident about this choice at the end. So I would also like to emphasize this. (Interview 7)

4.2.1.3 Mother

From the provided interviews, it is evident that the participants’ mothers played significant roles in influencing their decisions to pursue studies in IT-related fields. The presence of inspiring and supportive mothers who have succeeded in technical fields can positively influence young women’s decisions to pursue studies in IT-related disciplines. Furthermore, parental educational backgrounds can indirectly influence their children’s perceptions and choices, underscoring the importance of diverse role models and supportive environments in encouraging more women to enter and excel in STEM fields. Efforts to promote female representation in these fields should take into account the role that parents, particularly mothers, can play in shaping young women’s aspirations and career choices.

One participant’s mother, being an engineer, served as an inspiring role model, influencing her daughter to consider a similar path in informatics. This highlights the importance of having strong female role models in STEM fields, as they can encourage and empower young women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated areas.

I think this might be interesting because especially my father not having such an academic background and my mother, like, very pursued me and my brother to to go into this academic direction even though we don’t want to work in this field, we should at least have some kind of degree of our own in case we wonder or needed. So it’s better to have it than to not have it kind of a situation. And it definitely helped to have like a role model as a as a woman who, I mean, she wasn’t like intact, but being an engineer. So it definitely was very inspiring to have her as a role model growing up. (Interview 3)

Additionally, another mother’s educational background in math education indirectly influenced her daughter’s decision-making process. The lack of role models in natural sciences, possibly due to her mother’s career choice in education, may have contributed to her initial hesitation in considering informatics or computer science. This emphasizes the impact that parental educational backgrounds can have on shaping their children’s perceptions and choices regarding academic and career paths.

Actually, among my family, there is actually nobody who studied natural sciences. My mom studied math education, but that’s why she ended up being a school teacher. So when I was young, even though I was good in math and science, the only thing that I could imagine myself was to be a teacher. And that’s what I didn’t want. So if I look back, the reason why I didn’t choose informatics or any natural science related field was because I didn’t have any role model for myself or I couldn’t even imagine myself being in such fields. For example, even like short before I started my studies, I didn’t know what people do when they study computer science. I thought, they are building computers, they assemble computers. But I didn’t know about programming or logic. And if I knew it earlier, I would probably choose it. But I didn’t have anybody who wants to pursue their career in this field. (Interview 5)

4.2.1.4 Siblings

One participant’s brother acted as a key influencer and mentor in her journey toward studying informatics. His guidance, introduction to the tech industry and recommendation to enroll in a technical gymnasium played pivotal roles in helping her find her path and develop a passion for informatics. This highlights the importance of supportive family members and siblings who can provide valuable insights and encourage exploration of academic and career opportunities.

And my brother, actually, he’s doing his master degrees in informatics, It was a big help in making my decision and helping me find my path and actually. He was the person to introducing me into tech industry. I mean, back when I started and had to to decide on what I want to enroll in, it wasn’t like that appealing to to a young woman to go into like informatics or computer science in general because you usually have like this image of like kind of the American viewpoint of some guy with, like, sweatshirts on and in his basement and something doing some kind of hacking which is completely not the reality. But there are, I think a lot of misconceptions, but he really showed me that informatics can be created, that informatics can be helpful. And yeah, and he actually gave me the idea to switch from a normal gymnasium to a technical gymnasium.(Interview 3)

4.2.1.5 Friends

In the interviews analyzed, the influence of friends on the decision to pursue studies in the field of information technology (IT) was apparent. Several participants mentioned the impact of their friends who were already studying or interested in IT-related fields. The shared interests, positive experiences and recommendations from friends studying related fields served as important factors that influenced the participants’ decisions. This highlights the significance of peer influence and the impact of social connections in guiding individuals toward specific academic and career paths.

The interest in computer games was sparked by their friends who were studying games engineering. The presence of these friends, coupled with the enjoyable experiences they shared in gaming, influenced the participant’s decision to switch from informatics to computer games.

So I like games and then I made some friends that were all studying. So in the beginning of when I started studying, I was really into this one game. It’s called Smash Bros and then I was like in this discord channel. And someone asked. Oh, does anyone like playing this game and I was like ohh I like playing this game and then I made some friends and then they decided to start this Gaming night in university. A video game night so people bring monitors and video games and we would play mostly with this. And then indeed, like most of those people were studying games engineering and I was like, Ohh games, engineering is like cooler. I guess it was kind of a lot of influence from the people around me in the 1st place because I felt like everyone around me studying games and they were way cooler than the other people. (Interview 1)

Similarly, having friends who were studying computer science who shared positive experiences and perspectives served as an influential factor in the participant’s decision to pursue IT studies. The firsthand accounts of their friends’ satisfaction and engagement in the field of computer science contributed to shaping the participant’s own career choice.

I had friends that had studied computer science in the past. My peers that were also women. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t really frustrated about the whole topic, because I feel like it was always a more men dominated area in my own mind because I was thinking, I mean, I like computers and I have technological affinity. I do play video games, but I’m not a crazy video game person like any other guy is that is studying computer science. As if that is the case, but because I also had friends that were like me that were kind of modeling. OK, I mean, they’re they were also not really into all of these things that I have listed. But they have studied. And they have actually liked it. And I also looked into the whole study plan and I saw that it was a lot of mathematics. And I like mathematics. So I think it’s never was really explained to me what computer science actually is. So I just tried to associate it with things that were related to computers. (Interview 4)

Additionally, friends who were studying at Technical University of Munich (TUM) recommended the institution to them. The endorsement and encouragement from their friends played a role in the participant’s decision to choose TUM as their academic destination for studying IT.

I saw many different fields that I didn’t have much of experience. And at that time, I was doing internship in Vienna, and I had some contact with some startup companies in Vienna, and they were doing natural language processing. So they kind of opened my mind that I could do something really new and creative with language and with technology. And this technology field was not there for me. And that’s why I wanted to dig in about computer science and technology that I didn’t have any chance to learn. So I searched some courses in Germany, and some of my friends were studying at TUM, and they really recommended me to study here, So they encouraged me a lot, and I decided to study here. (Interview 5)

4.2.1.6 Teachers

Additionally, the influence of a supportive individual, such as a teacher, played a crucial role in shaping their decisions. It was noted that not all teachers fulfilled the expected role of being supportive. Some participants encountered discouragement from female informatics teachers who lacked up-to-date knowledge and exhibited biased attitudes toward female students’ abilities. While this initially created a sense of difference and discouragement, it also served as a motivation for participants to prove themselves. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of dispelling misconceptions and cultivating a supportive educational environment to foster interest and success in the field of IT.

Actually, I thought that my teachers weren’t that helpful. Umm, it was quite interesting because I had actually two female informatics teachers and they were quite discouraging. I had one for hardware specific themes and one for software specific themes, and both weren’t like necessarily good example. I respect Or admire people that have like knowledge in the things they do, and to them it wasn’t like admiring because sometimes it felt a bit like OK, then they learned it like 20 years ago and never updated their knowledge so. So it was not like that inspiring to me and they also didn’t vary. And it seemed like even though they they themselves were like in a field, they’re like very uncommon to be a teacher in. And it still felt like they had some kind of. Like they didn’t trust the girls to to do as good as the as the boys in the class, which is. Quiet like weird to me because they themselves are. They should be the example that it shouldn’t matter if you’re male or female in this field, but they really did make us feel the difference. So I would say it on some hand it discouraged, but on the other hand, it pushed me and my ego to to try to perform better. (Interview 3)

4.2.2 Personal characteristics

The participants were asked whether there are any personal characteristics that they think influence them to study IT. They reported resilience, competitiveness and willingness to fail as some of the characteristics they perceived have helped them.

I think I am kind I I think I could say that I’m kinda resilient because I remember when we had our very first mathematics course it was really I cannot say in the first few weeks I don’t even know if I understand if I really understood everything or anything really. It was a very different mathematics experience. But I remember people dropping out after like the third or second week. And this didn’t match my personality at all. Because you know, I didn’t even know I want. I would give myself a chance. I don’t say I won’t do it. I give myself a chance. I decided that I wanted to continue, although I was like, I wasn’t even understanding everything because I wanted to give myself a chance to succeed, but will also wanted to allow myself to fail. If I fail, then I fail at the exam and not just because I gave up. This was a mindful decision I made there, I could have dropped out too, but I didn’t. (Interview 2)

I think resilience because I what is maybe interest maybe interesting about me is that I can have a lot of interests like for me it’s really hard to to. I have more the problem to cut down to things and say, OK, I’m not taking this also and doing this as well I it’s for me hard that I have like to focus on the on the lot of things that I’m already doing and I’m packing even more. (Interview 3)

I would say resilience. Because it’s actually something that people can train. People don’t, not the intelligent people, get degree. It’s the one that are disciplined enough to keep on going. (Interview 3)

Competitiveness also played a role in motivating some participants to excel and perform at their best in the IT field. This desire to excel and compete drove them to pursue their studies and strive for success.

So I’m a bit competitive. So it it really draw me to do my best and to accelerate and yeah. (Interview 3)

I think it’s because I have this competitive person in me. I’m very stubborn. And I don’t know how to give up. (Interview 8)

The ability to manage multiple interests was highlighted by a participant, reflecting her difficulty in narrowing down her pursuits. Nevertheless, this diverse set of interests ultimately contributed to her decision to pursue computer science.

Moreover, the lack of fear of failure was mentioned as an important characteristic in the field of computer science, emphasizing the importance of embracing failures as opportunities for growth and learning.

I think I am not afraid to fail. That’s important in computer science. (Interview 4)

For some participants, the fit and sense of happiness that computer science brought into their lives outweighed the struggles they faced, reinforcing their commitment to pursuing their studies in the IT domain.

Computer science feels more fit on me, and I am struggling more, but more happy. (Interview 5)

4.2.3 Identity factors

4.2.3.1 Demographic traits

The participants in the study had a varied demographic profile. In terms of age, they ranged from 21 to 27 years old. Their educational backgrounds were diverse, including attending German schools in both Germany and abroad, studying at a German high school in Turkey, and obtaining bachelor’s degrees in different fields in their home countries before pursuing studies in Germany. The participants also had diverse cultural backgrounds, with some having parents who migrated from other countries such as Yugoslavia and Turkey. This mix of age, education and cultural backgrounds contributed to a rich and diverse group of individuals participating in the study on factors influencing women’s choices in IT studies.

4.2.3.2 IT identity

The participants in the study shared a common identity in the field of IT. Their chosen area of study revolved around informatics, with all of them pursuing or having pursued studies in this discipline. This indicated a strong interest and inclination toward the technical and computational aspects of information technology. While some participants had made specific transitions within the broader field of IT, such as switching from informatics to games engineering, the overall focus remained on the study and exploration of informatics. This common IT identity provided a cohesive thread among the participants and formed the basis for analyzing their experiences and factors influencing their choices in the IT domain (Table 1).

Interviewer	IT Identity
Interview 1	Informatics then switched to Games Engineering
Interview 2	Informatics
Interview 3	Informatics
Interview 4	Information Systems
Interview 5	Informatics, Computer Science
Interview 6	Informatics
Interview 7	Informatics
Interview 8	Informatics

Table 1.

IT identity of the interviewees.

5. Discussion and recommendations

Building on the DTGIT, this study analyzes factors that affect young women to enroll in IT degrees in Germany [22]. We found out that environmental factors such as economical aspects of the job (i.e., high paid, job security), culture, social infrastructure factors such as availability of IT courses in high school and initiatives, as well as capability to establish a work-life balance affect women’s decision to enroll in courses.

In addition, personal influences such as family (fathers, mothers, siblings), friends and teachers played a role in the decision to enroll in a degree. While most of the time these people provided a positive influence, high-school IT teachers were sometimes seen as being biased toward the young men taking the class. The participants also reported resilience, competitiveness and willingness to fail as characteristics which have helped them.

Based on these results, we provide the following recommendations:

5.1 Easy discovery

Making the information about degrees easily accessible and discoverable, this study, among others, found out that some women only knew that they were interested in the field after finding more information about it [25]. Access to information can be provided through university websites or initiatives that aim to promote the IT field for high-school students. Another venue is career teachers or IT teachers who have direct contact with high-school students.

5.2 Initiatives

When organizing initiatives aiming to promote IT, those who aim to introduce coding to women and/or in which the women are able to interact with the university academics were mentioned in our study as being highly useful. In addition, as parents play a role in influencing decisions, aiming some of these interventions at parents or including also parents could be beneficial in attracting more women to the field.

5.3 IT in high school

IT courses available in high school or earlier familiarize women to the field and might demystify some of the views of the IT field. However when these courses are ran teachers’ possible unconscious biases should be addressed, possibly through training. In addition, care should be taken for these courses not to be a further alienating experience for women due to the low number of women attending.

By examining these various factors, our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted aspects influencing the career decisions of female students in IT. The insights gained from our analysis have significant implications for fostering gender diversity and equity within the IT industry, allowing for targeted interventions and initiatives to support and empower female students in their career journeys.

6. Limitations

The study was conducted with a limited sample of participants from a single university in Germany. Although some of the study results support existing findings in other contexts, care should be taken when trying to generalize them as these need to be replicated before they can be generalized.

Acknowledgments

This research has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Bavaria under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder, as well as by the Technical University of Munich – Institute for Advanced Study. There are no financial competing interests to declare. We want to thank Julia Pühl for helping us during the initial stages of the project.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.