Gender and computing: persisting differences

Durndell, Alan; Glissov, Peter; Siann, Gerda

doi:10.1080/0013188950370301

Cited by 83 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Differences between girls and boys in home computer use were identified in studies by, for example, Doornekamp (1993) in secondary education in The Netherlands, Robertson, Calder, Fung, Jones, and O'Shea (1995) in secondary education in England, and Bannert and Arbinger (1996) in German secondary education. 3 Comber, Colley, Hargreaves, and Dorn (1997) and Durndell, Glissov, and Siann (1995) reached the same conclusion in their study on students aged 11 and 12 in the United States and 15 and 16 in Scotland. In the latter study, however, a differentiation was made in the type of use, showing that gender differences do not occur in all types of use.…”

Section: Accesssupporting

confidence: 54%

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade

Volman¹,

Eck²

2001

Review of Educational Research

268

176

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This article presents a review on gender differences and information and communication technology (ICT) in primary and secondary education. First the rapid development of the use of ICT in education is outlined. Then the topics of access to computers, computer-related learning processes, and educational outcomes are discussed. The review also provides insight into the background of gender differences in participation in computer activities and performance in relation to ICT. The research reviewed focused on the role of teachers and fellow classmates, on the different approaches of girls and boys to ICT, and on the preferences of girls regarding the structure and design of software. The research also analyzed the complex meaning of computer attitudes as both a cause and a consequence of differences in the participation and performance of girls and boys. The extent and nature of these differences vary from application to application.

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Section: Accesssupporting

confidence: 54%

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade

Volman¹,

Eck²

2001

Review of Educational Research

268

176

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“…Our survey results are generally in line with previous research findings that demonstrate females are usually less experienced than males with regards to their use of computers both at home and in higher education (Dain, 1991;Durndell, Glissov & Siann, 1995;Shashaani, 1995). However, these findings also support the nuanced approach to IT training that Clegg and Trayhurn (2000) and Crews and Butterfield (2003) argue is needed to shatter the notion of a homogenous gender gap.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Research conducted in the 1990s indicated that females were usually less experienced than males with regards to their use of computers both at home and in higher education (Dain, 1991;Durndell, Glissov, & Siann, 1995;Shashaani, 1995). In 2001, the fact that "only 15 percent to 20 percent of computer science majors" were female at major universities in the United States was a source of embarrassment ("Computer Gender Gap," 2001 The problem of gender equity in IT is decades old.…”

Section: Literature Review Of the Sexes And Technology Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and Technology in the Liberal Arts: Aptitudes, Attitudes, and Skills Acquisition

Butler¹,

Ryan²,

Chao³

2005

JITE:Research

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Executive SummaryStudies in gender have offered many reasons for the differing attitudes and skill levels that male and female undergraduate students possess when it comes to learning technology skills. Male and female students have differing learning styles influenced by such experiential factors as biology, historical inequalities, inconsistent political rights, and problems of sociological constructions. Studies such as Clegg and Trayhurn's (2000) in the United Kingdom (UK), Crews and Butterfield's (2003) in the United States, the European Union's (EU) the Women in Technology North West's surveys (2004), and the World Bank's research (2005) demonstrate that the gender gap is a reality when it comes to technology training, in most institutions and countries, both developed and developing. The gender gap persists despite many efforts to curb the effects of institutional and social inequality. However, the gender gap is different in each context and must be contextualized in each situation; in fact, the gender gap as a term conflates several different arguments and may indeed contribute to misunderstandings of the issue.In May 2003, the Technology Edge Research Project completed a major study of undergraduate liberal arts students and their attitudes concerning the technology skills that they have gained during university. This report builds upon the findings of the Technology Edge Research Project's preliminary needs assessment; this research was documented in a previous article in the Journal of Information and Technology Education (JITE) entitled, "Providing a Technology Edge for Liberal Arts Students" (Butler, Chao, & Ryan, 2003).Elaborating on our findings as they specifically related to gender issues, this paper addresses the following research questions: 1) Is there a gender gap between final year male and female undergraduate students when it comes to information technology (IT) skills?2) What are the differences in attitudes and self-reported skill levels of final year male and female undergraduate students, in both the arts and non-arts? What is the relationship between these attitudes and measured aptitudes?3) How can educators address these differences, when they develop and deploy materials designed to improve IT skills?

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“…For example, in an early North American study, Becker and Sterling (1987) detect word processing as the only area where girls dominate in computer use. In the British context, Durndell, Glissov and Siann (1995) find exceptions relating to the use of computers at school for playing games and outside of school for word processing. However, these exceptions support the general argument that there are enduring gender differences in students' access to and use of computers.…”

Section: Access Use and Attitudesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the work of Durndell et al (1995), Siann argues that females make constructive decisions not to pursue tertiary education and careers in computer science, rejecting such life paths as matters of positive self-interest rather than lack of confidence or self-efficacy. Durndell et al (1995) ascribe differences in participation to the idea of "pragmatic advantage" (p. 226). They suggest that once females become convinced of the usefulness of computers they are happy to use them.…”

Section: Defying Stereotypes and Challenging Essentialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking the ‘problem’ of gender and IT schooling: discourses in literature

Abbiss

2008

Gender and Education

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Abstract:A review of the international research literature pertaining to gender and information technology (IT) schooling reveals changing ideas about what constitutes a gender problem. Much of the literature is concerned with gender differences in computer uses and interests and perceived disadvantages accruing to females as a result of these differences. This reflects and contributes to a dominant liberal equity discourse.Growing awareness of the limitations of earlier research, the changing nature of IT schooling, contradictions in students' computer interests and dissatisfaction with simplistic explanations has led, however, to post-structural rethinking and the emergence of a critical discourse. Assumptions of essential differences and deficit ways of thinking are challenged. Persistent gender differences in IT use are explored in their social complexity and the very notion that there is a gender problem is problematised. This presents a different and ultimately more satisfying way of thinking about the problem of gender and IT schooling.

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Gender and computing: persisting differences

Cited by 83 publications

References 12 publications

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade

Gender and Technology in the Liberal Arts: Aptitudes, Attitudes, and Skills Acquisition

Rethinking the ‘problem’ of gender and IT schooling: discourses in literature

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