GSE/RES Investigating Gender-Based Differences in Perception and Use of IT as Factors in IT Career Choice

马里兰大学巴尔的摩分校正在研究性别、数字媒体技术的使用和认知、自我效能感和职业意向之间的相互关系。以下九个问题是通过个人访谈、自然观察、焦点小组和调查的结合来检验的，涉及大约2500名在巴尔的摩县和霍华德县马里兰州公立学校就读的中学生（6 -8年级）：对技术的定义是否存在性别差异？2. 数字媒体技术的使用水平是否存在性别差异？3. 数字媒体技术的使用是否存在性别差异？4. 男孩和女孩对数字媒体技术的看法不同吗？5. 数字媒体技术的使用如何影响人们对IT的看法？6. 认知和使用如何影响IT职业意向中的自我效能感？7. 认知、使用和自我效能感如何影响与选修IT课程相关的决策？8. IT职业意向的性别差异是否受数字媒体技术感知、使用和自我效能感的影响？9. 了解这些因素的影响，什么数字媒体或数字媒体技术将有效地积极影响这些看法？Lent等人的社会认知职业理论（social cognitive career theory， SCCT）是本项目的基础。SCCT建立在班杜拉的社会学习理论的基础上，认为职业兴趣是随着时间的推移而发展的，并且在一定程度上是由个体的自我效能感和结果预期决定的。我们通过纳入数字媒体技术使用和认知的潜在中介效应来扩展SCCT，我们认为它们应该影响自我效能感，并最终影响性别、自我效能感和职业成果之间的关系。这项研究将利用来自计算机科学、性别研究、工业工程、信息科学、媒体和社会学等不同领域的研究团队，更好地理解这些相互关系。预期结果包括：(1)了解数字媒体技术的体验和感知、学生的自我效能感和早期IT职业决策之间的相互作用。(2)基于当前数字媒体技术的使用和认知，一个原型调查工具来预测对IT课程、项目和潜在职业的兴趣水平。虽然已有人机交互和社会学研究与本研究无关，但对技术与性别和未来职业决策之间关系的关注具有创新性。更广泛的影响调查结果和由此产生的调查工具可以为教育工作者和研究人员制定行为干预措施或技术的数字媒体应用提供指导，这些技术将吸引女孩和男孩进入IT职业领域。该研究解决了女性在信息技术领域代表性不足的问题，并提出了提高所有学生对信息技术的兴趣、提高计算机素养和普遍增加信息技术学位数量的需要，提供了对中学生水平的洞察。

University of Maryland Baltimore County is studying the interrelationships among gender, digital media technology usage and perceptions, self-efficacy, and career intentions. The following nine questions are examined through a combination of individual interviews, naturalistic observation, focus groups, and surveys involving approximately 2500 middle school (6th -8th grade) students attending Baltimore County and Howard County Maryland Public Schools: 1. Are there gender differences in how technology is defined? 2. Do gender differences exist in the level of usage of digital media technologies? 3. Are there gender differences in how digital media technology is used? 4. Are perceptions of digital media technology different for boys versus girls? 5. How does use of digital media technology influence perceptions of IT? 6. How do perceptions and use affect self-efficacy in IT career intentions? 7. How do perceptions, use, and self-efficacy influence decisions related to taking elective IT courses? 8. Are gender differences in IT career intentions mediated by digital media technology perceptions, usage, and self-efficacy? 9. Understanding the influence of these factors, what digital media or digital media technology would beeffective in positively impacting these perceptions? Intellectual Merit The social cognitive career theory (SCCT) of Lent et al. serves as a foundation for this project. SCCT builds upon Bandura's social learning theory, and holds that career interests develop over time, and are, in part, determined by individuals' self-efficacy and outcome expectations. We expand SCCT by incorporating the potential mediating effects of digital media technology usage and perceptions as we suggest that they should impact self-efficacy and ultimately the relationship between gender, self-efficacy, and career outcomes. This research will provide a better understanding of these interrelationships, drawing on a diverse research team representing computer science, gender studies, industrial engineering, information science, media, and sociology.Expected outcomes include: (1) An understanding of the interplay between experience with and perceptions of digital media technology, students' self-efficacy, and early IT career decisions. (2) A prototype survey tool to predict levels of interest in IT courses, programs, and, potentially, careers, based on current digital media technology use and perceptions.While there have been Human-Computer Interaction and sociological studies tangential to this research, the focus on relationship between technology and gender and future career decisions is innovative.Broader Impacts Findings and the resulting survey tool can provide guidelines for educators and researchers developing behavioral interventions or digital media applications of technologies that will attract both girls and boys to IT career fields. The research addresses the under-representation of women in IT and the needs to increase interest in IT in all students, to promote computer literacy, and to increase the numbers of degrees in IT generally, by offering insight about students at the middle school level.