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Relationship between gender identity, perceived social support for using computers, and computer self-efficacy and value beliefs of undergraduate students

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Abstract

This study investigated relationship between gender identity, social support for using computers and computer self-efficacy and value beliefs. Data was collected from first year undergraduate students at a university near Bangkok (72.3 % females, mean age = 18.52 years). The respondents in our survey did not intend to major in computer sciences. Results show parental and peer support for using computers were positively associated with computer self-efficacy and value beliefs for both males and females. Gender typicality was positively associated with the level of computer self-efficacy for males and personal endorsement of gender-stereotypes was negatively associated with the level of computer self-efficacy for females. Students who responded “yes” to whether they would pursue employment in a job that may require them to work with computers reported significantly higher computer self-efficacy and value for using computers than students who responded “no” or “undecided”. Gender role socialization and expectancy-value theories are used to interpret group differences in computer self-efficacy and value beliefs.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Chanut Poondej for his assistance with data collection. We are also grateful to Barbara E. Coon for her critical feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Learning Innovation and Technology Program, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thonburi, Thailand

    Naraphol Deechuay & Sorakrich Maneewan

  2. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ravinder Koul

  3. Innovative Learning Center, Srinakharinwirot University, 114 Sukhumvit 23, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand

    Thanita Lerdpornkulrat

Authors
  1. Naraphol Deechuay
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  2. Ravinder Koul
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  3. Sorakrich Maneewan
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  4. Thanita Lerdpornkulrat
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Correspondence to Thanita Lerdpornkulrat.

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Deechuay, N., Koul, R., Maneewan, S. et al. Relationship between gender identity, perceived social support for using computers, and computer self-efficacy and value beliefs of undergraduate students. Educ Inf Technol 21, 1699–1713 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-015-9410-8

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