Underrepresentation of women in undergraduate computer science programs has been a persistent issue for over 25 years. Most research on this topic has focused on examining why this is true at the author’s home institutions and what interventions have improved the situation. However, these studies often fail to provide the context of the institution (student population and resources) and how their findings compare to different contexts. This paper aims to analyze the existing literature from a realist synthesis perspective and propose potential interventions that account for context and underlying mechanisms. This paper uses a realist synthesis research approach, where the interventions are studied in the context of the institution. The first part of the paper explains the realist synthesis methodology and assesses the quality of research papers in context to generate Program Theories. These Program Theories then serve as an organizational framework for the main body of the paper. Six Program Theories were identified through a synthesis process that began with reviewing 56,795 abstracts using keywords such as women in computer science, undergraduates, retention, and recruitment. Subsequently, 61 reports that offered insights into the issue of low female participation in computer science degree programs were read and analyzed, narrowed down to 24 journal articles. The findings of this realist synthesis review provide guidance on which interventions and mechanisms may effectively increase the percentage of women in their computer science programs and the contexts in which they are most effective.
KeywordsUndergraduate Women in STEMDiversity in CSRetention of Women in CSRealist Synthesis
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