Based on research, gender attitudes toward technology is consistent-basically, studies that involve optional use of technology indicate that males tend to favor technology based activities more so than females. Currently, I am teaching at a middle school and we have a program that reinforces positive behavior through clubs. Some of the clubs include dance, art, debate, fashion design, weight lifting, board games, cooking, sewing, modeling, video games, computer technology, and yearbook. We, (the teachers) were responsible for giving students an interest survey to help us decide which clubs the students would be assigned to- based on his or her personal interest. This democratic approach became extremely difficult once we analyzed our data from the interest surveys.
We had an overwhelming interest for males in the computer technology and video games club. The sewing, cooking, and modeling clubs had an overwhelming interest from the females. One of two things could be the issue here and that is: Either our students have adopted the "traditional" norms of gender roles from society and this is what sparks their interest or there is a digital divide in gender whereas males prefer competition and action oriented computer games.
Will the divide increase or decrease in the future??
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