Gender Discrepancies through the College Years

2011 ◽  
pp. 190-205
Author(s):  
Christie L. McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
University Students ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Information Science ◽  
The United States ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Self Confidence

Women made significant contributions to the beginning of the computing revolution. For example, Ada Byron Lovelace helped write the first subroutine, the women of the ENIAC age programmed the first computer during World War II, and Admiral Grace Hopper wrote the first compiler. While there have been female pioneers in the field, today men dominate the world of information technology (Riemenschneider, Armstrong, Allen, & Reid, 2004). Gürer and Camp (2002) report that many science fields hold women in low esteem, and attempt to reject them. Moreover, women are actually declining as part of the technology workforce: they made up 41% of the information technology workforce in 1996, but in 2002 that proportion was down to 35% (Cockburn, 1999). Furthermore, the number of female university students currently studying information technology and computer science will not lead to an increase of females in the profession: in 2002, only 28% of all degrees in computer and information sciences went to women (NCES, 2003); in 2003, only 19% of computer science students were female (Wilson, 2003) and only 28% of the undergraduate students in information science were female (Saye & Wisser, 2004). In a time where women make up the majority of university students (NCES, 2003), why is information technology seeing the opposite trend (Zeldin & Pajares, 2000)? There are a number of theories as to why so few women have chosen to pursue a career in technology (Acker, Barry, & Esseveld, 1990; Cooper & Robinson, 1985; Wilson, 2003; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000). Furthermore, nearly all studies on the subject have been done in the United States (Irani, 2004; Lips, 2004; Wilson, 2003) while only one study cited here explored the gender gap among university students at the University of Hong Kong (Huang, Ring, Toich, & Torres, 1998). A number of feminist researchers believe that science (including technology) has a language that is masculine in nature (Acker et al., 1990). Furthermore, since our society understands gender as binary—that is, what is masculine is not feminine and vice versa—the very nature of science leaves women out. Once women get into the IT world, they face issues of personality and confidence that differ by gender. One theory, to be explored in depth here, is that women enrolled in introductory programming courses have less confidence in themselves than do their male counterparts and that the confidence level of female students decreases significantly between secondary and post-secondary education (Lips, 2004). In addition to being shaped by their comparisons of their performance with the performance of their male peers, women’s self-confidence is likely influenced by their experience of stress in their technology-oriented courses. These influences, combined with inaccurate views of IT careers, are influential in whether or not college students decide to work towards an IT-related major or choose another discipline all together (Irani, 2004; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000).

scholarly journals Factors Afecting Female Students Motivation Related to Enrollment and Retention in Information Technology Courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meirylane Rosa Emidio Avelino ◽  
Luciana Cardoso de Castro Salgado ◽  
Karina Mochetti ◽  
Raquel Bravo ◽  
Carla Faria Leitao
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Current Problem ◽  
Female Students ◽  
A Current

The difficulty of including women in a male dominated environment is a current problem, leading to important factors such as the role of women in society, whose rules were always imposed and created by men. Specifically in the Information Technology (IT) field, there have been a growing concern as projects are being created with the main goal of studying this issue and reverse it. This work explores what motivated undergraduate students of Computer Science and Information Systems courses of Fluminense Federal University (UFF) to choose this area and how they are experiencing the first years in college. This research was conducted with a qualitative methodology in order to understand the main fears and difficulties they had while choosing those courses and how they are dealing with a mostly male environment. Our results are based on activities from #include <meninas.uff> project, organized by female professors at UFF to attract more girls to technology courses and to support undergraduate students already enrolled. The female students affect by the project show to appreciate how it is raising an important question about the gender gap and the issues they have faced since they chose a course in the IT field.

Addressing the Gender Gap in the Cybersecurity Workforce

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
Robert Beveridge
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Highly Skilled ◽  
The Many

Cybercrime has proliferated over the last decade and is increasing in velocity and intensity. The need for employers to find highly skilled technologists to fill the many critical roles is reaching unprecedented levels. Men dominate the information technology fields such as cybersecurity and computer science. However, the need to bring more women into the various fields is necessary and would bring tremendous benefit to any organization. Much work needs to be done to generate interest in secondary schools by training teachers in technology so they can develop effective STEM curricula. Post-secondary schools need to focus on teacher development as well as developing information technology curricula that appeals to women. And once in the workplace, organizations need to develop policies and inclusive environments that do not alienate women.

Analysis of Demographics and Factors Influencing Student Choice of Major at Five Universities

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 510b-510
Author(s):  
Tammy Kohlleppel ◽  
Jennifer C. Bradley ◽  
Jayne Zajicek
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Choice ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Choice Of Major ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
University History ◽  
Insight Into

In recent years horticulture programs at universities across the United States have experienced a decline in student numbers. Researchers at the Univ. of Florida and Texas A&M Univ. have developed a survey to gain insight into the influences on undergraduate students who major in horticulture. Five universities participated in the survey of undergraduate horticulture programs, these include the Univ. of Florida, Texas A&M Univ., Oklahoma State Univ., Univ. of Tennessee, and Kansas State Univ. Approximately 600 surveys were sent to the schools during the 1997 fall semester. The questionnaires were completed by horticulture majors and nonmajors taking classes in the horticulture departments. The survey consisted of two main sections. The first section examined student demographic information, high school history, university history and horticulture background and was completed by all students. Only horticulture majors completed the second section, which examined factors influencing choice of horticulture as a major. Results examine fundamental predictors in promoting student interest in horticulture, demographic variables that may influence student choice of major, and student satisfaction and attitude toward current collegiate horticulture programs. Findings from this study will provide insight into the status of post-secondary horticulture education and assist in identifying methods to increase student enrollment in horticulture programs across the country.

College Student Commitment and Outdoor Orientation Programming

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-316
Author(s):  
Curt Davidson ◽  
Alan Ewert
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Life ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Reactivity Study ◽  
Outdoor Orientation

Background: Increasingly colleges and universities are utilizing Outdoor Orientation Programs (OOPs) to help incoming students assimilate into college life. These programs have shown promise in recent analyses for enhancing desired outcomes with particular consideration shown to pro-social behavior and retention outcomes. Purpose: To examine how effective OOPs are in preparing students for a successful college student experience, particularly with variables known to influence student success and commitment to college. Methodology/Approach: Data were collected from four universities across the United States. Participants in this study were 205 undergraduate students from 17 to 25 years old who self-enrolled in their respective institutions OOP. This study used the College Student Readiness Inventory to generate a hypothesis concerning the possible effects of an OOP experience concerning predictive and outcomes variables relative to college student commitment. Findings/Conclusions: Using SmartPLS, the main effects of the OOP indicated predictive relationships between Commitment to College and Goal Striving, Communication Skills, Social Activity, Emotional Reactivity, Study Skills, and Social Connection. Academic Self-Discipline, Academic Self-Confidence, and Self-Determination on Commitment to College. Implications: Study findings suggest specific connections between predicting college student commitment before and after an OOP.

scholarly journals Gender and the Culture of Computing in Applied IT Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 474-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan C. Herring ◽  
Christine Ogan ◽  
Manju Ahuja ◽  
Jean C. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Computer Science ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
It Education ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Hacker Culture ◽  
Mode Of Being

The “shrinking pipeline” of women who ascend through the ranks in computer science education programs and careers is by now a familiar problem. Women drop out at rates faster than men at all levels of educational and professional advancement, resulting in a gender gap especially pronounced at the highest levels of the computing workforce, and that has not narrowed appreciably at any level in more than 20 years (Camp, 1997; ITAA, 2005; Vegso, 2005). Efforts to move more women into the pipeline at lower levels have met with limited success (cf. the Carnegie Mellon experience as reported by Margolis & Fisher, 2002); girls and women still express less interest than boys and men in studying computer science and pursuing information technology (IT) careers (Bentson, 2000; Vegso, 2005). A reason often cited in the literature is the masculine culture of many computer science programs and IT workplaces, which is perceived by many women as alien and unwelcoming (Bentson, 2000; Spertus, 1991; Turkle, 1988). Even when institutions make efforts to treat women and men equally or accord women special consideration in admissions and hiring decisions, attitudes discouraging women from entering computing persist, both within the institutions and in society at large. Sometimes these attitudes are expressed overtly: Underground “hacker” culture is notoriously antagonistic to women (Gilboa, 1996), and even mainstream computer aficionados respond with resistance and sexist jokes to proposals to recruit more girls and women to study computer science (Slashdot.org, 2005). Moreover, there is a widespread perception that computer experts are socially-isolated “geeks” or “nerds” obsessed with technology, a mode of being that women, who tend to be more socially oriented, find unappealing (Margolis & Fisher, 2002; Turkle, 1988). Fortunately, the situation for computer science does not tell the whole story. In the latter part of the 20th century, the expansion of computing and the Internet fueled the rise of applied IT fields in which technical skills, rather than being developed for their own sake, are increasingly put to use in the service of human needs. Applied fields, such as information science, information systems and instructional technology, have gained strength, and a new interdisciplinary field, informatics, has emerged. At the same time, interest in computer science itself is declining, especially among women (ITAA, 2005; Vegso, 2005). In this article, we explore the possibility that applied IT fields may provide more women-friendly cultures while still focused on technology. The larger question underlying this exploration is: Does applied IT education have the potential to bridge the “gender computing gap”?

scholarly journals Perceived Academic Competence Among Arab Open University Students (Sultanate of Oman): الكفاءة الأكاديمية المُدركة لدى طلبة الجامعة العربية المفتوحة (سلطنة عُمان)

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (31) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Hamood Al-Ghafri, Amal Saleem Mohammed Al-shabibi, Lai
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Competence ◽  
Business Administration ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Open University ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Academic Year

The research aimed to identify the level of perceived academic competence among Arab Open University students (Sultanate of Oman) and to identify the extent of the difference of the perceived level of academic competence according to the variables of specialization (Information Technology and Business Administration) and academic level (freshman and sophomore) and the interface between them. The research used the descriptive method and the Perceived Academic Competence scale to achieve the goals of the study and answer its questions, an indicator related to the extent of students' perception and awareness of their ability to achieve academic success. It consists of (9) scales applied to an intentional sample of (94) male and female students of AOU. The research has concluded that the general average of the perceived academic competence of the Arab Open University students in Business Administration and Information Technology for the first and second year amounted to (3.85) and this indicates that the study sample has a high degree of perceived academic competence. There were no statistically significant differences in the level of perceived academic competence according to the variables of specialization and academic year level. The results also indicated that there is no interface between the specialization and the academic year level. Rendering to the results, several recommendations and proposals were presented to improve the academic competence of university students and the general undergraduate students in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arab countries.

Gender, Race, Social Class and Information Technology

2009 ◽  
pp. 1729-1735
Author(s):  
Myungsook Klassen ◽  
Russell Stockard
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Technology Positions

The issue of the underrepresentation of women in the information technology workforce has been the subject of a number of studies and the gender gap was an issue when the digital divide dominated discourse about women’s and minority groups’ use of the Internet However, a broader view is needed. That perspective would include the relation of women and IT in the communities in which they live as well as the larger society. The information society that has emerged includes the United States and the globalized economy of which it is an integral part. Women and minorities such as African Americans and Latinos are underrepresented in computer science (CS) and other information technology positions in the United States. In addition, while they areno longer numerically underrepresented in access to computers and the Internet – as of 2000, (Gorski, 2001) - they continue to enjoy fewer benefits available through the medium than white boys and men. The following article explores the diversity within women from the perspectives of race, ethnicity and social class in North America, mainly United States. The technology gender and racial gap persists in education and in the IT workforce. A broader and deeper look at women’s position in relation to the increasingly techno-centric society reveals that women may have reached equality in access, but not equity in academic study and job opportunities.

Trends in Terminology

2022 ◽  
pp. 193-203
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Us ◽  
Key Concepts

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze and review trends in digital terminology. The chapter begins by examining the origins of computerization in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Next, the chapter examines the key concepts punch cards and computer science. The chapter then discusses how the term computer science is misleading. This is followed by a discussion of how information technology became the most popular term in the US. The chapter then switches focus to Europe and discusses France's promotion of informatique as well as Europe's switch from informatics to ICT. Next, the chapter considers how the internet has given rise to terms like e-commerce. The chapter concludes by considering the transition from ICT to digital informing and informing technology.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Information Technology Usage: A U.S.-Japan Comparison

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Ono ◽  
Madeline ZavodnY
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Working Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Internet Usage ◽  
It Use ◽  
Nonstandard Employment

This study examines whether there are differences in men's and women's use of computers and the Internet in the United States and Japan and, if so, how this gender gap has changed over time. We focus on these two countries because information technology is widely used in both, but there are substantial differences in institutions and social organizations. We use microdata from several surveys during 1997–2001 to examine differences and trends in computer and Internet usage in the two countries. Controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, our results indicate that there were significant gender differences in computer and Internet usage in both countries during the mid-1990s. By 2001 these gender differences had disappeared or were even reversed in the United States but persisted in Japan. People not currently working have lower levels of information technology (IT) use and skills in both countries regardless of gender, but working women in Japan have lower levels of IT use and skills than working men, a difference that generally does not occur in the United States. This suggests that employment status per se does not play a large role in the gender gap in Japan, but type of employment does. The prevalence of nonstandard employment among female workers in Japan can explain much of the gender gap in information technology use and skills in that country.

scholarly journals Factors Related to Depressive Symptoms in University Students

Aquichan ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Allana Allitsa da Costa Bento ◽  
Monnik Helles Pereira Correia Higino ◽  
Andréia Guedes Oliva Fernandes ◽  
Talita de Cássia Raminelli da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Self Confidence

Objective: To identify and discuss the frequency of depressive symptoms and their associated factors in university students. Materials and method: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted in a Higher Education Institution. The study was developed with a convenience sample consisting of 571 undergraduate students from different areas. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic/academic data, as well as depressive symptoms and their associations, life habits, emotional aspects, and possible eating disorders. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square test were used for associations, with a significance level of 5 % (p-value ≤ 0.05). Results: The university students presented depressive symptoms such as sleep disorders (61.1 %) and reduced self-confidence (50.9 %). There was an association of depressive symptoms with the course, satisfaction with academic performance, obesity, consumption of sugars and sweets, and practice and frequency of physical activity. Conclusions: It is expected that the results of this research contribute to the population’s critical and reflective thinking to expand visibility and scientific studies referring to the theme, as well as to increase resources for the management of mental health and reduce the stigmas generated.

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