Being culturally sustaining in computing education: a systematic literature review

Background and Context: Although computer science (CS) education researchers and teachers seek to broaden the participation of historically marginalized groups in CS, there still exist barriers that produce disparity and block opportunities for students from various communities. To challenge these barriers and equip students with technological skills, several noteworthy approaches have been cultivated. Objective: The present review uncovers approaches to being “culturally sustaining” in CS education and examines how these approaches are enacted to improve CS. Specifically, it asks: how does a culturally sustaining approach appear in CS education research? Method: This paper uses a six-step process for conducting a systematic literature review: defining a protocol, conducting a search, appraising the search results, synthesizing those results and reporting the findings. This paper analyzes empirical articles on the topic of culturally sustaining CS education and presents a narrative summary of culturally sustaining work in the CS education landscape. Findings: The review brings together key literature and reveals six themes of CS research that inform approaches to culturally sustaining CS education. These themes focus on how culturally sustaining pedagogies expand our previous approaches to being culturally responsive, are enacted by communities of practice, role models, youth and teachers, and can be used to reimagine pedagogical tools. Implications: The literature in this review suggests that CS education should flatten traditional hierarchies and center collaborative, community-driven relationships that expand disciplinary knowledge. Collectively, these studies point toward a future in which confident, well-supported teachers and students co-create rigorous and empowering learning environments and reshape CS.