Gender and Socioeconomic Status Differences in Middle-School Computer Interest and Use

Abstract

Studies of educational computing have reported both gender and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in access to microcomputers and for their use in schools. Gender differences are usually related to student-oriented, motivational concerns, while SES differences in educational uses of the computer generally reflect institutional issues, such as the number and types of computers available and school-related uses of the machines. This survey measured computer interest and use for high- and low-SES middle-school students and examined motivational processes predicted to affect these outcomes. The results showed that there were both gender and SES differences for the outcome variables and for the processes predicted to affect them. Gender differences, however, were mediated by SES level of the students. The findings suggest that it may be important to consider gender and SES together when attempting to understand their effects on computer interest and use.