Impact Report 2025/26: Project-based Learning
The tech talent pipeline challenge
For technology to shape our world for the better, those creating it must reflect our society. Solutions work best when their design and development is informed by those with lived experience of the challenges they are trying to address. However, diversity is an ongoing challenge in the technology sector; only 9% of tech employees come from lower socio-economic backgrounds and only 17% of the engineering and technology workforce are women.
The barriers that prevent under-represented groups from accessing technology pathways are multiple and varied, but many of them start at school. GCSE computing has seen a sharp decline in entries since 2024 which has an effect on how many young people go on to study it further or pursue tech careers. Engineering UK highlights that girls report lower enjoyment of several STEM subjects than boys, and findings from the Subject Choice, Attainment and Representation in (SCARI) Computing project suggest that the curriculum shift from ICT to Computer Science (framed as a more academically demanding and technical subject) has meant the new qualification often fails to appeal to a diverse range of learners.
Focusing on skills and connecting students with industry can equip young people with insights, experience and behaviours they need to succeed in their chosen pathway. But research suggests that enjoyment is also key; in fact, it is the top factor influencing Year 8 and 9 students’ choices about Level 1/2 study. If a diverse range of students don’t enjoy computing and technology subjects, challenges around take-up and representation in tech subjects and careers will persist.
Project-based learning that centres on social action
Apps for Good courses are built around meaningful, student-led projects; they work together, choose and research a problem, design a solution and bring that solution to life. Instead of teaching computing as abstract theory, this project-based learning connects their work to real-world problems students actually care about, and gives it context, purpose, and relevance.
Our approach is supported by long-standing research on the benefits of project-based learning, as well as recent, evidence-led recommendations on how to encourage students from all backgrounds in computing. For example, the SCARI Computing project suggests that curriculum design should reintroduce applied, project-based digital skills alongside traditional computer science, and the Gender Balance in Computing research programme found that working collaboratively on shared digital artifacts (e.g. pair programming and group digital making) helped break down the isolated "lone genius" stereotype associated with computer science, and that girls reported higher self-efficacy and less frustration when tackling complex coding tasks as part of a project team.
In our experience, the social action framing of project-based learning makes it even more impactful for learners. The Pearson School Report 2026 found that most secondary school students (70%) said that having their voice/opinion heard at school is important to them, and we consistently hear from students that having the freedom to work on an issue that means something to them is a key reason why they enjoy Apps for Good. The vast majority finish their course not only having enjoyed their computing experience, but also more knowledgeable and motivated by the idea of tech for good.
When we compare the feedback data for boys and girls, there are some interesting differences. While slightly more boys reported enjoying the app prototyping (84% compared to 81%), girls reported slightly higher agreement on course enjoyment (+2pp), enjoyment of learning about social action (+5pp), increased confidence in their computing skills (+6pp), and increased confidence in their ability to use technology to shape their life and the world (+5pp). This, alongside the qualitative feedback we collect from students and teachers, suggests that bringing a social impact tech idea to life does engage girls and helps them grow in computing confidence.
[Choosing something that mattered to us] made us more interested and work harder [...] if someone else chose for us, we might not be as interested and not produce a high quality of work.”
Y7 student, Bosworth Academy
Most of the time, we are told what to do, [but this] is based on our experience so we wanted to work on it [...] It made me happy that I could share my own experiences with people, that we could make a real change in the world.”
Y9 student, Putteridge High School
It felt good to choose [an idea focused on] sign language because of my brother [...] It makes me feel really happy that I’ve actually tried to do something about it.”
Y8 student, Roding Valley High School
I would tell [other Apps for Good students] to make sure to pick an idea that they really resonate with, because picking our idea made the project really fun.”
Y9 student, Waldegrave School for Girls
As well as leading to more engaged, motivated learners, feedback data from this year suggests that enjoying an Apps for Good course can challenge preconceptions about computing and broaden students’ aspirations for the future. In 2025/26, 58% of student survey respondents said the course had made them more interested in studying computing in the future and 54% felt more interested in a digital technology career.
It feels good that we're being heard [...] I was always pretty good at ICT but I never had a passion for it. I have a passion for what we're doing now, I like developing apps […] I feel like I could definitely do something in the future with app creation.”
Y8 student, St Marylebone CE School
[If we hadn’t been able to choose our own idea] I wouldn't have put much effort into it, I wouldn’t have been that interested in it [...] I think it just gave me an interest in technology, and now I want to become a software engineer.”
S4 student, St Paul's RC Academy
This made me see how influential [tech] actually is on the world around us, and how important it is that we have social action to do with computer science.”
Y9 student, Leventhorpe School
As the government moves to refresh the curriculum (embedding AI and broadening the computing qualification to better address essential digital literacy and applied technology skills), Apps for Good is already leading the way. We’ve applied our learning from this year - and our previous 15 years of experience - to the development of a brand new course: AI for Good 2.0. If you’re a teacher or school leader who wants to learn more about how to teach AI in ways that engage every student, even those who think “computing isn’t for me”, take a look at our free guide.