Use of Computers by Middle School Students Within The Context of Gender Differences

The article by Miller, Schweingruber, & Brandenburg (2001) examines the use of computers by middle school students within the context of gender differences. The authors establish through a literature review that in the past there has been an actual or perceived gender divide in computer prowess. While the nature of the survey questions in the study seem to establish that they seek to examine whether this gender gap still exists, no clear research question with defined parameters is stated and the focus of their conclusions and scope of their discussion seems to me to be outside their research context.

Miller et al. conducted survey based research examining several areas: student self-perception of their computer ability and how they acquired that ability, student access to computers, and the purposes for which students use computers. These questions were examined with gender being the independent variable. The authors were especially mindful of the socio-economic factors that may influence access to computers and attempted to mitigate this by employing a stratified cluster sampling technique for participant selection although they do not clearly specify how clustered the participants were (several schools in a district were represented but it is unknown if whole classes from each school were sampled). The authors utilize participation levels in a free/reduced lunch program at the school in order to determine the socio-economic status (SES) of the school; it is not clear if this is accepted practice in US research however, in my own experience, SES data may be skewed if schools are on the border between two economic areas as wealthier students may be inclined to participate in an existing meal program on a convenience basis.

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...Simard, 2009).

The authors have provided some interesting data and, at least among the students in their study, have shown that boys and girls are now using computers at a similar level and have a similar self-perception of computer ability. The value of the study however, lies in the research proffered, not in the conclusion they have drawn.

Works Cited
Miller, L. M., Schweingruber, H., & Bradenburg, C. L. (2001). Middle school students' technology

practices and preferences: Re-examining gender differences. Journal of Educational Multimedia

and Hypermedia, 10(2), 125-140.

Molluzzo, J. & Dwyer, C. (2009). Gender and technology careers: The gap continues. Retrieved from

http://www.isedj.org/7/21/ISEDJ.7%2821%29.Molluzzo.pdf

Klawe, M., Whitney, T. & Simard, C. (2009). Women in computing---take 2 Retrieved from

http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1461947