Attitudes to Technology and Gender Equity

In a world that is becoming increasingly dominated by technology, it is important that teachers promote a positive attitude towards this component of the curriculum.  Attitudes directly determine levels of engagement in a subject and are strongly correlated with levels of achievement (Akey, 2006, p1-3, Hurley & Vosburg, 1997, p11).  Females are especially at risk of under achieving, in technology, due to their negative attitudes.  Canada and Brusca refer to this as the “technological gender gap” (1992, p1).  Females begin Primary education with positive attitudes towards computers but by Year Six their motivation and enjoyment of technology begins to drastically decline.  Males likewise demonstrate a positive start to technology in the Primary years but, the importance they place on computers and their enjoyment, motivation and creativity with computers, declines in Years Four and Five (Knezek &Christensen, 2000, p7-8).    Therefore there is an urgent need for teachers to reconsider their training and pedagogical methods to ensure gender equity, equal access for all and to promote positive attitudes towards technology.

Teaching staff should receive regular, relevant training in gender equity issues related to the teaching of technology.  Luongo states “gender equity should become systemic and should be built into teacher education programs as well as ongoing teacher professional development” (2012, p537).  Lessons, program documentation and resources should demonstrate that gender issues have been taken into consideration.  Teachers should make a concerted effort to seek out training that updates their skills in computing and informs them of applications that may be used to enhance their teaching and the learning of all students.

In schools where female students are shown to be lagging behind their male counterparts, with computer literacy skills, it may be necessary to include segregated computer classes for female students (Canada & Brusca, 1992, p2, 4, 5, 6, 8, Lal, 2002, p5).  Timetabling of computer access may also need to be adjusted, to allow for ‘girls only’ sessions during break-times, to ensure that females are not in competition with males to gain computer time.  Classroom teachers that prepare schedules and rules for teacher assistance, during computer use, are more likely to safeguard against male dominance and inequity of access to technology.

Computer suites within schools should be appealing to both sexes.  Too often computer labs are sterile environments where seating is planned for individual work rather than arranged to facilitate collaboration.  Displays within labs are often minimal and posters may display only pictures, of male role models, reinforcing the ideas that computers are a male domain.  Canada and Brusca recommend teachers “structure the physical and social environments of computer facilities to enhance females students’ learning opportunities” (1992, p5).  This may mean creating appealing displays and adjusting seating to enhance group learning.  This gender bias, in computer labs, is often also compounded by a lack of female teacher role models.

Teachers need to demonstrate an enthusiasm for technology that is infectious.  The way that a teacher perceives technology, and his/her attitude towards it, also has a direct impact on the students’ perceptions and attitudes.  Workshops to familiarise teachers with new software applications and peer mentoring schemes, that not only demonstrate good practise but enable teachers to support one another, would do much to raise positive attitudes towards technology within the teaching staff (Lal, 2002, p5, Luongo, 2012, p532).  When students experience well planned lessons and projects, across the curriculum, that integrates technology, the teacher sends a hidden message that technology is important to learning.  Teachers may incorporate technology into their lessons, by constructing a class website or blog, that provides for the different learning styles within the classroom.  Alternatively teachers may set up activities on Wikis that require the students to work collaboratively together, and with the teacher, on a project (Alexiou-Ray, Wilson, Wright & Peirano, 2003, p59).  Students who are hesitant to ask questions may be more inclined to question the teacher in an environment where their peers are not watching; further engendering positive attitudes towards technology (Algahazo, 2006,  p5).

Collaborative tasks, that involve the use of computers, provide opportunities for students to learn from their peers.  Canada and Brusca state “Strategies such as peer tutoring…team computer work, and computer networking to connect people…may reduce female’s interpretation of computers as being isolating, non-social machines and may make the culture of computing more compatible with feminine values and social styles” (1992, p5). Collaborative tasks, where the teacher acts as a facilitator, ensure that the more dominant males in the class do not monopolise the teacher’s attention (Luongo, 2012, p527).  Less dominant or retiring male students would also benefit from collaborative technology tasks.

 Computers and technology have become a permanent part of society.  It is the teacher’s responsibility to see that the students within his/her care adopt a positive attitude towards its use.  By keeping abreast of current issues and applications teachers may be able to make adaptions to their classroom routines and planning, to ensure that all students become engaged, motivated and enthusiastic about using technology.     

References

Akey, T. M. (2006). School Context, Student Attitudes and Behaviour, and Academic Achievement: An Exploratory Analysis [Electronic version] Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Attitudes_and_Academic_Achievement (1)

           

Alghazo, I. M. (2006). Student attitudes toward web-enhanced instruction in an educational technology course College Student Journal. [Electronic Version]. Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Student_attitudes_toward_web-enhanced_instruction_in_an_educational_technology_course (1)

           

Knezek, G., Christensen, R. (2000). Refining Best Teaching Practices for Technology Integration Key Instructional Design Strategies (KIDS) Project Findings for 1999-2000. Student Attitudes to Technology-Integrating Elementary School Classrooms: Allen ISD, 2000-2001 [Electronic version]. Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Kids_andTtechnology (3)

           

Alexiou-Ray, J. A., Wilson, E. K., Wright, V. H., Peirano, A. (2003). Changing Instructional Practice: The Impact on Technology Integration on Students, Parents, and School Personnel. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, 2(2) [Electronic version] Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Changing_Instructional_Practice (2)

           

Canada, K., Brusca, F. (1992). The Technological Gender Gap: Evidence and Recommendations for Educators and Computer-Based Instruction Designers. Educational Technology Research & Development [Electronic version]. Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing:The_Technological_Gender_Gap_Evidence_and_Recommendations_for_Educators_and_Computer-Based_Instruction_Designers (1)

           

Lal, V. (2002). The impact of computer-based technologies in Schools - preliminary literature review. Retrieved from Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Impact_of_Computers (1)

           

Luongo, N. (2012). Increasing Elementary School Teachers' Awareness of Gender Inequity in Student Computer Usage. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education 4(3), 519-544 [Electronic Version].  Retrieved from: www.iejee.com/4-3-2012/IEJEE-4-3-519-544.pdf

           

N. Hurley, Vosburg, J. (1997). Modern Technology: The Relationship between Student Attitudes toward Technology and Their Attitudes toward Learning Using Modern Technology in an Everyday Setting [Electronic version]. Retrieved from: Avondale College Moodle EDUC32400 Issues in Educational Computing: Attitudes_to_Technology_Study (6)