The Role of National Identity and National Cultures in K-12 Computer Science Education

Justice-centered computing scholarship has made significant efforts in broadening the participation of underrepresented groups, particularly along the lines of race, gender, and class. However, the role of immigrant students' national identities in these efforts have been largely ignored. In this lightning talk, we present preliminary findings from an ongoing study that explores the perspectives of computer science teachers - who work in classrooms with students from diverse national backgrounds - about national identity and national culture. The study examines how these computer science teachers understand the role of students' national identities and national cultures within the CS classroom. Our study was guided by the following research question: how do computer science teachers understand the national identities and national cultures of their students? We focus on three findings: first, the role that teachers place on national identity and national culture in students' sense of self, second, the ways in which teachers understand how national culture intersects with students' family cultures and age groups, and third, the influence of national identity and national culture on students' learning experiences within the classroom. These insights provide nuanced perspectives to broadening participation efforts in computer science education.