Gender Differences in Computer and Information Literacy: An In-Depth Analysis of Data from ICILS. IEA Research for Education. Volume 8
Author: Gebhardt, Eveline
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Books
Subjects: Gender Differences,Computer Literacy,Information Literacy,International Assessment,Grade 8,Computer Attitudes,Technology Uses in Education,Self Efficacy,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Student Interests,Foreign Countries

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's (IEA) mission is to enhance knowledge about education systems worldwide, and to provide high-quality data that will support education reform and lead to better teaching and learning in schools. In pursuit of this aim, it conducts, and reports on, major studies of student achievement in literacy, mathematics, science, citizenship, and digital literacy. These studies, most notably Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), and International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), are well established and have set the benchmark for international comparative studies in education. The studies have generated vast datasets encompassing student achievement, disaggregated in a variety of ways, along with a wealth of contextual information which contains considerable explanatory power. The numerous reports that have emerged from them are a valuable contribution to the corpus of educational research. Valuable though these detailed reports are, IEA's goal of supporting education reform needs something more: deep understanding of education systems and the many factors that bear on student learning advances through in-depth analysis of the global datasets. IEA has long championed such analysis and facilitates scholars and policymakers in conducting secondary analysis of these datasets. The IEA Research for Education series represents a further effort by IEA to capitalize on these unique datasets, so as to provide powerful information for policymakers and researchers. Each report focuses on a specific topic and is produced by a dedicated team of leading scholars on the theme in question. This eighth volume in the series deals with an issue that is especially timely in an information era--that of gender differences in computer literacy. Given the importance of technology in our day-to-day lives and the dominant role that computers and digital devices play, examining the existence of a gender-based digital divide is crucial by any measure. This is especially important, as the impact of digital gaps can be severe. To gain a better understanding about computer and information literacy, the authors use data from the 2013 cycle of the IEA's International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS). ICILS is a survey of grade eight students, designed to answer the question &quot;How well are students prepared for study, work, and life in the digital age?&quot; The sorts of issues taken up in this volume include (1) gender differences in computer literacy, (2) gender differences in attitudes toward computer use, and (3) how male and female teachers differ in their use of technology in teaching. This list is not exhaustive, but it offers some examples of what readers will find. As with much cross-cultural research, this volume shows that the answer to many of the queries is &quot;it depends&quot;; cross-country differences are ubiquitous. The ICILS database is rich and interesting and offers a treasure trove of material for research. Besides adding to the literature on the digital divide, we find this volume to be an example of the ways in which ICILS can be used to answer pressing and timely questions around technology literacy in the modern era. [For Volume 7, see ED599016.]