Billy Wong
Biographic Data
| ID | 3591076 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Billy Wong |
| GIVEN NAMES | Billy |
| FAMILY NAME | Wong |
| SIGNATURE | WONG B |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Reading |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7310-6418 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 27 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 88 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 27 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Marketing computing
This paper examines how school branding and policy may shape gender disparities in computing education. Wong et al. explore how schools portray computing in brochures, websites and related materials in ways that can unsettle or reproduce gendered stereotypes. They conducted a document analysis of websites and curriculum materials (n = 960 items) from 40 English co-educational secondary schools. The authors find that schools with higher female com…
Only Ada
Prominent public figures are important representatives of their fields, potentially becoming influential role models, especially for young people. The identities of these famous people can shape and stereotype their respective domains, impacting diversity and inclusion. This paper examines young people’s awareness of the notable people in the computing and technology field, utilising data from a questionnaire with 4,112 entries from 1,788 young p…
‘I deserve to be here’
In efforts to support students’ belonging in higher education, universities continue to cultivate and promote diversity and inclusion in their academic communities. Despite this endeavour, students from underrepresented backgrounds can still often encounter barriers to belonging at university. Existing research has identified multiple domains of student belonging in higher education, although there has been limited qualitative analysis of how bel…
From thinking to ticking
Theory of Change (ToC) has gained traction in higher education, particularly in England under renewed emphasis on evaluation from the regulator. In principle, ToC offers a way to think through how and why interventions work. In practice, ToC can become something to fill in, rather than to work with, as assumptions often go unexamined and change mechanisms remain vague. This article argues that ToC has drifted from its original purpose, with a cal…
Rethinking educational gain in higher education
This paper proposes a multi-dimensional model of educational gain, in response to the shift in policy discourse from learning gain. In English higher education, particularly in the Teaching Excellence Framework, there is now an emphasis on institutions to evidence the progress students make over the duration of their study. Yet, there is an absence of agreed indicators as to what educational gain entails, including the theories that underpin the …
Is being clever enough? Young people’s construction of the ideal student in computer science education
Popular discourses of computing and computer science can often frame the sector and the people within it as highly intelligent yet socially challenged, contributing to stereotypes that can potentially exclude those perceived to lack these skills or characteristics. For young people, such stereotypes can influence their educational and career aspirations, especially if there are discrepancies between their own identity and perceptions of what is d…
Cracking the code
Digital skills are beneficial for young people and society, but some individuals, particularly girls, are less likely to choose computing post-compulsory education. Coding is a crucial skill in the school computing curriculum. The authors collected survey data from 4983 secondary-school students (ages 11–16) as well as conducted exploratory factor analysis and created multivariable logistic regression models. Their findings revealed that high cod…
Educational research in the global north and south; reflections on the field and future directions
Editorial
Exploring the spatial belonging of students in higher education
This paper presents a conceptual framework of spatial belonging. The aim is to enrich our conceptual understanding of space and belonging in higher education, with a provisional spatial belonging framework for researchers and practitioners to critically reflect on the different ways in which higher education spaces can facilitate and shape belonging and inclusion for students. Understanding spatial influences on student belonging is key to apprec…
Who wants to be a computer scientist? The computing aspirations of students in English secondary schools
Despite being in a digital age, the diversity of young people choosing to study and work in computing is of ongoing concern, especially low numbers of girls. This paper aims to determine the profile of students who are more likely to aspire to be computer scientists and provide insights into the key factors that shape their aspirations in this area. We draw on questionnaire data from 4,983 secondary school students in England, in schools that hav…
Mapping the eight dimensions of the ideal student in higher education
Marketisation has directed higher education institutions and policies to focus on student support and provisions that promote better experience and value. By contrast, expectations of university students are under-researched and understated, with less attention placed on what and how students should perform in higher education. This paper further develops the concept of the ideal student at university, which aims to promote transparency and expli…
Deindividualising Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is the experience of persistently feeling like a fraud despite one's achievements. This article explores student experiences of imposter syndrome, based on 27 interviews with marginalised STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) undergraduates at two pre-1992 elite UK universities. We argue that imposter feelings are a form of unevenly distributed emotional work, which we call imposter work. Drawing on …
A mapping of graduate attributes
The higher education market has prompted universities to justify their value and worth, especially to students. In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, it is increasingly common for universities to advertise their vision to prospective students, through Graduate Attributes, and showcase the sets of skills and competencies their graduates would develop throughout a degree. Whilst there are extensive studies in Australasia, research in the UK context…
Silent or silenced? Minority ethnic students and the battle against racism
Racism is harmful for minority ethnic students from compulsory to tertiary education. Whilst there appears to be renewed public interest in structural racism, the realities of lived racism are, for many, a part of everyday life. This paper explores the experiences of minority ethnic students in UK higher education, especially their approaches to racism and coping strategies. Drawing on 51 in-depth interviews, the authors discuss the different way…
Biology is easy, physics is hard’
This paper draws upon in-depth interviews with 89 students from two UK universities to explore how students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees describe the ideal as well as the typical student in their respective disciplines. We provide a comparative insight into the similarities and differences between disciplinary identities based on student perceptions. More specifically, we consider how undergraduates from bi…
Is race still relevant? Student perceptions and experiences of racism in higher education
This paper explores the current views and experiences of university students towards issues of race and racism in England. A decade into the UK’s Equality Act (2010), we have witnessed a proliferation of support for minority rights and movements, especially from the younger generation, often praised as progressive and liberal. Yet, in UK higher education, there is growing evidence and concern about racial and ethnic inequalities in the experience…
Exploring the concept of 'ideal' university student
This paper contributes to our understanding of the ‘ideal’ university student – a working concept that promotes a more transparent conversation about the explicit, implicit and idealistic expectations of students in higher education. Drawing on Weber’s theory of ideal types, we explore university staff and students’ conceptualisation of the ‘ideal’ student. Informed by 20 focus groups with 75 university staff and students, we focus on how the con…
Swallow your pride and fear’
With more graduates, degree outcomes have a renewed significance for high-achieving students to stand out in a graduate crowd. In the United Kingdom, over a quarter of undergraduates now leave university with the highest grade – a ‘first-class’ degree – although students from non-traditional and underprivileged backgrounds are the least likely. This article explores the experiences of high-achieving non-traditional (HANT) university students. Dra…
Global Civil Society 2011
Underachievement in Education
Underachievement in education refers to students who achieve below the average or expected grades. In western countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, minority ethnic young people tend to underachieve and attain lower grades than students from the majority ethnic background. A number of interrelated issues, such as racism, low teacher expectations and stereotypes, and cultural differences, can c…
“Science capital”
This paper sets out an argument and approach for moving beyond a primarily arts‐based conceptualization of cultural capital, as has been the tendency within Bourdieusian approaches to date. We advance the notion that, in contemporary society, scientific forms of cultural and social capital can command a high symbolic and exchange value. Our previous research [Archer et al. (2014) Journal of Research in Science Teaching 51, 1–30] proposed the conc…
Spheres of influence
Young people’s aspirations remain an enduring focus of education policy interest and concern. Drawing on data from an ongoing five-year study of young people’s science and career aspirations (age 10–14), this paper asks what do young people aspire to at age 12/13, and what influences these aspirations? It outlines the main aspirations and sources of these aspirations as expressed by young people in England in the last year of primary school (surv…
Young Children's Aspirations in Science
Students' lack of interest in studying science and in science-related careers is a concern in the UK and worldwide. Yet there is limited data, particularly longitudinal, on the sources and development of science-related aspirations. In response, the ASPIRES (Science Aspirations and Career Choice: Age 10–14) longitudinal study is investigating the development of students' educational and occupational aspirations over time. In the first phase of th…
‘Not girly, not sexy, not glamorous’
Internationally, there is widespread concern about the need to increase participation in the sciences (particularly the physical sciences), especially among girls/women. This paper draws on data from a five-year, longitudinal study of 10–14-year-old children’s science aspirations and career choice to explore the reasons why, even from a young age, many girls may see science aspirations as ‘not for me’. We discuss data from phase one – a survey of…
“Balancing acts''
There is international concern over persistent low rates of participation in postcompulsory science—especially the physical sciences—within which there is a notable underrepresentation of girls/women. This paper draws on data collected from a survey of more than 9,000 10/11‐year‐old pupils and 170 interviews (with 92 children and 78 parents) from a 5‐year study of children's science aspirations and career choice in England, to explore how gender …
Science Aspirations, Capital, and Family Habitus
Low participation rates in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) post-16 are a matter of international concern. Existing evidence suggests children’s science aspirations are largely formed within the critical 10 to 14 age period. This article reports on survey data from over 9,000 elementary school children in England (age 10/11) and qualitative data from 160 semi-structured interviews (92 children aged 10/11 and 7…
Spheres of influence
Young people’s aspirations remain an enduring focus of education policy interest and concern. Drawing on data from an ongoing five-year study of young people’s science and career aspirations (age 10–14), this paper asks what do young people aspire to at age 12/13, and what influences these aspirations? It outlines the main aspirations and sources of these aspirations as expressed by young people in England in the last year of primary school (surv…
Swallow your pride and fear’
With more graduates, degree outcomes have a renewed significance for high-achieving students to stand out in a graduate crowd. In the United Kingdom, over a quarter of undergraduates now leave university with the highest grade – a ‘first-class’ degree – although students from non-traditional and underprivileged backgrounds are the least likely. This article explores the experiences of high-achieving non-traditional (HANT) university students. Dra…
Biology is easy, physics is hard’
This paper draws upon in-depth interviews with 89 students from two UK universities to explore how students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees describe the ideal as well as the typical student in their respective disciplines. We provide a comparative insight into the similarities and differences between disciplinary identities based on student perceptions. More specifically, we consider how undergraduates from bi…
Exploring the concept of 'ideal' university student
This paper contributes to our understanding of the ‘ideal’ university student – a working concept that promotes a more transparent conversation about the explicit, implicit and idealistic expectations of students in higher education. Drawing on Weber’s theory of ideal types, we explore university staff and students’ conceptualisation of the ‘ideal’ student. Informed by 20 focus groups with 75 university staff and students, we focus on how the con…
Educational research in the global north and south; reflections on the field and future directions
Editorial
Exploring the spatial belonging of students in higher education
This paper presents a conceptual framework of spatial belonging. The aim is to enrich our conceptual understanding of space and belonging in higher education, with a provisional spatial belonging framework for researchers and practitioners to critically reflect on the different ways in which higher education spaces can facilitate and shape belonging and inclusion for students. Understanding spatial influences on student belonging is key to apprec…
Deindividualising Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is the experience of persistently feeling like a fraud despite one's achievements. This article explores student experiences of imposter syndrome, based on 27 interviews with marginalised STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) undergraduates at two pre-1992 elite UK universities. We argue that imposter feelings are a form of unevenly distributed emotional work, which we call imposter work. Drawing on …
“Doing” science versus “being” a scientist
The concern about students' engagement with school science and the numbers pursuing the further study of science is an international phenomenon and a matter of considerable concern among policy makers. Research has demonstrated that the majority of young children have positive attitudes to science at age 10 but that this interest then declines sharply and by age 14, their attitude and interest in the study of science has been largely formed. This…
“Balancing acts''
There is international concern over persistent low rates of participation in postcompulsory science—especially the physical sciences—within which there is a notable underrepresentation of girls/women. This paper draws on data collected from a survey of more than 9,000 10/11‐year‐old pupils and 170 interviews (with 92 children and 78 parents) from a 5‐year study of children's science aspirations and career choice in England, to explore how gender …
Science Aspirations, Capital, and Family Habitus
Low participation rates in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) post-16 are a matter of international concern. Existing evidence suggests children’s science aspirations are largely formed within the critical 10 to 14 age period. This article reports on survey data from over 9,000 elementary school children in England (age 10/11) and qualitative data from 160 semi-structured interviews (92 children aged 10/11 and 7…
Young Children's Aspirations in Science
Students' lack of interest in studying science and in science-related careers is a concern in the UK and worldwide. Yet there is limited data, particularly longitudinal, on the sources and development of science-related aspirations. In response, the ASPIRES (Science Aspirations and Career Choice: Age 10–14) longitudinal study is investigating the development of students' educational and occupational aspirations over time. In the first phase of th…
‘Not girly, not sexy, not glamorous’
Internationally, there is widespread concern about the need to increase participation in the sciences (particularly the physical sciences), especially among girls/women. This paper draws on data from a five-year, longitudinal study of 10–14-year-old children’s science aspirations and career choice to explore the reasons why, even from a young age, many girls may see science aspirations as ‘not for me’. We discuss data from phase one – a survey of…
Spheres of influence
Young people’s aspirations remain an enduring focus of education policy interest and concern. Drawing on data from an ongoing five-year study of young people’s science and career aspirations (age 10–14), this paper asks what do young people aspire to at age 12/13, and what influences these aspirations? It outlines the main aspirations and sources of these aspirations as expressed by young people in England in the last year of primary school (surv…
Underachievement in Education
Underachievement in education refers to students who achieve below the average or expected grades. In western countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, minority ethnic young people tend to underachieve and attain lower grades than students from the majority ethnic background. A number of interrelated issues, such as racism, low teacher expectations and stereotypes, and cultural differences, can c…
“Science capital”
This paper sets out an argument and approach for moving beyond a primarily arts‐based conceptualization of cultural capital, as has been the tendency within Bourdieusian approaches to date. We advance the notion that, in contemporary society, scientific forms of cultural and social capital can command a high symbolic and exchange value. Our previous research [Archer et al. (2014) Journal of Research in Science Teaching 51, 1–30] proposed the conc…
Global Civil Society 2011
Swallow your pride and fear’
With more graduates, degree outcomes have a renewed significance for high-achieving students to stand out in a graduate crowd. In the United Kingdom, over a quarter of undergraduates now leave university with the highest grade – a ‘first-class’ degree – although students from non-traditional and underprivileged backgrounds are the least likely. This article explores the experiences of high-achieving non-traditional (HANT) university students. Dra…
Is race still relevant? Student perceptions and experiences of racism in higher education
This paper explores the current views and experiences of university students towards issues of race and racism in England. A decade into the UK’s Equality Act (2010), we have witnessed a proliferation of support for minority rights and movements, especially from the younger generation, often praised as progressive and liberal. Yet, in UK higher education, there is growing evidence and concern about racial and ethnic inequalities in the experience…
Exploring the concept of 'ideal' university student
This paper contributes to our understanding of the ‘ideal’ university student – a working concept that promotes a more transparent conversation about the explicit, implicit and idealistic expectations of students in higher education. Drawing on Weber’s theory of ideal types, we explore university staff and students’ conceptualisation of the ‘ideal’ student. Informed by 20 focus groups with 75 university staff and students, we focus on how the con…
A mapping of graduate attributes
The higher education market has prompted universities to justify their value and worth, especially to students. In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, it is increasingly common for universities to advertise their vision to prospective students, through Graduate Attributes, and showcase the sets of skills and competencies their graduates would develop throughout a degree. Whilst there are extensive studies in Australasia, research in the UK context…
Silent or silenced? Minority ethnic students and the battle against racism
Racism is harmful for minority ethnic students from compulsory to tertiary education. Whilst there appears to be renewed public interest in structural racism, the realities of lived racism are, for many, a part of everyday life. This paper explores the experiences of minority ethnic students in UK higher education, especially their approaches to racism and coping strategies. Drawing on 51 in-depth interviews, the authors discuss the different way…
Biology is easy, physics is hard’
This paper draws upon in-depth interviews with 89 students from two UK universities to explore how students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees describe the ideal as well as the typical student in their respective disciplines. We provide a comparative insight into the similarities and differences between disciplinary identities based on student perceptions. More specifically, we consider how undergraduates from bi…
Who wants to be a computer scientist? The computing aspirations of students in English secondary schools
Despite being in a digital age, the diversity of young people choosing to study and work in computing is of ongoing concern, especially low numbers of girls. This paper aims to determine the profile of students who are more likely to aspire to be computer scientists and provide insights into the key factors that shape their aspirations in this area. We draw on questionnaire data from 4,983 secondary school students in England, in schools that hav…
Mapping the eight dimensions of the ideal student in higher education
Marketisation has directed higher education institutions and policies to focus on student support and provisions that promote better experience and value. By contrast, expectations of university students are under-researched and understated, with less attention placed on what and how students should perform in higher education. This paper further develops the concept of the ideal student at university, which aims to promote transparency and expli…
Deindividualising Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is the experience of persistently feeling like a fraud despite one's achievements. This article explores student experiences of imposter syndrome, based on 27 interviews with marginalised STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) undergraduates at two pre-1992 elite UK universities. We argue that imposter feelings are a form of unevenly distributed emotional work, which we call imposter work. Drawing on …
Cracking the code
Digital skills are beneficial for young people and society, but some individuals, particularly girls, are less likely to choose computing post-compulsory education. Coding is a crucial skill in the school computing curriculum. The authors collected survey data from 4983 secondary-school students (ages 11–16) as well as conducted exploratory factor analysis and created multivariable logistic regression models. Their findings revealed that high cod…
Educational research in the global north and south; reflections on the field and future directions
Editorial
Exploring the spatial belonging of students in higher education
This paper presents a conceptual framework of spatial belonging. The aim is to enrich our conceptual understanding of space and belonging in higher education, with a provisional spatial belonging framework for researchers and practitioners to critically reflect on the different ways in which higher education spaces can facilitate and shape belonging and inclusion for students. Understanding spatial influences on student belonging is key to apprec…
From thinking to ticking
Theory of Change (ToC) has gained traction in higher education, particularly in England under renewed emphasis on evaluation from the regulator. In principle, ToC offers a way to think through how and why interventions work. In practice, ToC can become something to fill in, rather than to work with, as assumptions often go unexamined and change mechanisms remain vague. This article argues that ToC has drifted from its original purpose, with a cal…
Rethinking educational gain in higher education
This paper proposes a multi-dimensional model of educational gain, in response to the shift in policy discourse from learning gain. In English higher education, particularly in the Teaching Excellence Framework, there is now an emphasis on institutions to evidence the progress students make over the duration of their study. Yet, there is an absence of agreed indicators as to what educational gain entails, including the theories that underpin the …
Is being clever enough? Young people’s construction of the ideal student in computer science education
Popular discourses of computing and computer science can often frame the sector and the people within it as highly intelligent yet socially challenged, contributing to stereotypes that can potentially exclude those perceived to lack these skills or characteristics. For young people, such stereotypes can influence their educational and career aspirations, especially if there are discrepancies between their own identity and perceptions of what is d…
Marketing computing
This paper examines how school branding and policy may shape gender disparities in computing education. Wong et al. explore how schools portray computing in brochures, websites and related materials in ways that can unsettle or reproduce gendered stereotypes. They conducted a document analysis of websites and curriculum materials (n = 960 items) from 40 English co-educational secondary schools. The authors find that schools with higher female com…
Sociology (24 works) · Psychology (20 works) · Mathematics education (13 works) · Pedagogy (13 works) · Political science (13 works) · Higher education (10 works) · Gender Studies (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Higher Education Research Studies (8 works) · Social science (8 works)