The digital gender gap among undergraduate students in several Spanish universities

Identifier:  imarina:9438469

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9438469

Authors:  Artiles-Rodriguez, Josue; Aguiar-Perera, Maria Victoria; Esteve-Gonzalez, Vanessa; Serrano-Molinero, Vanessa

Abstract:
A student's level of digital competence affects aspects of their academic life such as progress and performance or access to degrees. This research is based on a descriptive and inferential quantitative methodology, with a survey design aimed at collecting information on an initial group of 909 participants, from different educational levels, of which the responses of 725 undergraduate students were finally analysed. The results show that women are the group with the highest mean scores, although more than half of the respondents of both genders have a high mean score. No significant differences were foundwhen analysing the different regions of Spain based on gender. Nor were differences found when contrasting degree subject area and gender, or when grouping degrees according to whether they are included in the STEM subject block or not. Differences were appreciated in certain digital competence literacies when gender and average grade are taken into account. These results may represent an indication of a change in the digital divide identified over the past few years by various authors. The findings indicate that, while there is a need to strengthen equity in digital competence training between genders, there may be more factors influencing students' perceptions of their level of competence.