Dealing with diversity: factors discouraging participation of Maori and Pacifica females in ICT education

The availability of ICT job opportunities within New Zealand is continuing to grow year on year. However, there has been a decrease in the proportion of females, especially Māori and Pacifica, entering into ICT study and pursuing ICT careers. This paper explores factors that discourage participation of Māori and Pacifica high school females in ICT. Semi-structured questions were created based on a STEM cell framework to interview Māori and Pacifica females between the age of 15 and 17 years studying at high school. It was found that by year 11 Māori and Pacifica females lost interest in ICT. This came down to many factors such as perception of the industry not being diverse in people and culture, the subject being dull or boring and the subject not catering for creativity. It was clear from the results that Māori and Pacifica females were discouraged more than encouraged by perceptions and attitudes towards ICT. Māori and Pacifica females had already made their minds up by year 11 that ICT was not the right career choice to follow. Schools need to recognise the students’ journey in ICT in this changing world and start promoting ICT as being creative and imaginative