STACS (Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science)
STACS (Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science) is a teacher-led organization working to address the gender gap in Computing Science by focusing on the root cause at the school level. It provides teachers with free, high-quality, pick-up-and-play teaching resources. STACS provides over 250 hours of these resources for secondary and over 160 hours for Primary 1 to Primary 7, with clear progression through each year group. Its primary resources align with Computing Science pedagogy from the DevTech Research Group and all resources follow the NCCE's 12 Pedagogy Principles of teaching Computing Science. Comprehensive teacher support is provided, including lesson plans, slides with teacher notes, activities, and answers. The organization has a key focus on gender throughout all the resources. It has embedded strategies within all our resources to make Computing Science engaging and inclusive. Drawing on research into what inspires female pupils, these strategies include highlighting female role models, promoting teamwork, and emphasizing creativity and real-world connections throughout the curriculum.
Recognizing primary education as a foundational stage for building a sustainable and inclusive tech talent pipeline in Scotland, STACS works to ensure early exposure to Computing Science. Research underscores the importance of engaging pupils¡ªparticularly girls¡ªat a young age to foster diversity and strengthen the future of the tech sector. To further this goal, STACS has compiled a substantial collection of high-quality videos, including over 80 featuring female role models, as well as books for school libraries showcasing inspirational female figures.
All resources are freely accessible to educators worldwide, with ongoing updates to expand and enhance the available materials.
Toni Scullion, co-lead of STACS