The gender gap in computing has persisted--and grown--over the past 40 years. One class of solutions offered as a way to close the gap are software and hardware design tools created for girls. This study compares one such construction kit--the Adafruit Flora--to a comparable kit that was not designed with girls in mind--the Arduino Leonardo. Using…

This paper explores certain possible reasons behind the uneasy relationship between women and technology. The cultural identification of technology with masculinity has been well documented through previous research. However, we feel it is useful to revisit this complex relationship through the scope of a more subtle distinction between…

This article presents EarSketch, a learning environment that combines computer programming with sample-based music production to create a computational remixing environment for learning introductory computing concepts. EarSketch has been employed in both formal and informal settings, yielding significant positive results in student content…

In this study, which was situated in the context of information science instruction, data were collected twice using student self-reports to examine the effects of pedagogical practices on changes in boys' and girls' expectancy and value beliefs about computing. Participants were 326 7th-grade students, enrolled in three middle schools that were…

Situated in the gender digital divide framework, this survey study investigated the role of computer anxiety in influencing female college students' perceptions toward Web 2.0 applications for learning. Based on 432 college students' "Web 2.0 for learning" perception ratings collected by relevant categories of "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use…

The scarcity of women in ICT-related studies has been systematically reported by the scientific community for many years. This paper has three goals: to analyze gender differences in self-concept of computer and math abilities along with math performance in two consecutive academic years; to study the ontogeny of gender differences in self-concept…

Children are increasingly using computer technologies to engage in acts of aggression against peers, often termed "cyber aggression". Media reports have sensationalized instances of cyber aggression, and social scientists have begun to examine its characteristics and consequences. Using a younger sample of children than most previous research (192…

Purpose: The declining participation of young American females in computing fields negatively impacts diversity in the computing-related workforce. While computing in China is also dominated by men, career prospects are positively perceived by Chinese women. The purpose of this paper is to investigate both countries' female gender perceptions…

The dearth of women in technology and ICT-related fields continues to be a topic of interest for both the scientific community and decision-makers. Research on attitudes towards computers proves that women display more negative computer attitudes than men and also make less intense use of technology and computers than their male counterparts. For…

This article argues that research on gender and adult learning too often regards men and women as unified and separate groups, and does not take intra-gender variation into account. It presents one possible approach to address this problem, in a study of 142 women and 35 men attending basic computer courses in Swedish municipal adult education…

This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting's Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy's Computer…

The purpose of this dissertation was to gain new insight into video game playing, exposure, and preferences as well as perceptions toward success with computers between students in computer related disciplines (CRD) and students in non computer related disciplines (NCRD). Perceptions toward success with computers were measured using a slightly…

Research has shown that girls do not participate as much as boys in Information Technology (IT) in the senior years of high school. Despite research in the 1990s which identified the under-representation of girls in IT, the same pattern still continues. In addition, the complex reasons for this gender divide, and how to counter it, remain unclear.…

Previous research has studied gender differences in people's perceptions and behaviors toward information technologies with mixed findings. In addition, the reasons causing these differences have been discussed but rarely empirically tested in the literature. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which gender affects the…

This exploratory study took place in the context of middle school information science in Greece, to examine possible relations between boys' and girls': value and efficacy beliefs about computers and information science; perceived parental support; perceived teacher expectations; and perceptions of the nature of information science instruction.…