Fall 2000

Gender and Anxiety Levels in Introductory Computer Courses
Pedro Leite

Introduction
    This paper reports classroom research conducted at a medium-sized community college in the Midwest.  This action research was designed to identify any significant difference between male and female students regarding their level of anxiety toward the use of computers.  Three research questions are addressed by this study:

     The survey also tried to identify certain characteristics of students enrolled in introductory computer courses.  The student profile included: gender, age group, work load, previous computer experience, and plans to further their education at four-year colleges or universities.

Limitations of the Study

     The following statements were limitations of this study:

Review of the Literature
     Most of the research in this area was conducted during the 1980s and early 1990s.  Craig (1994) presented a review of research in this area.  Based on his analysis the author outlined ways to help relieve stress and anxiety resulting from learning how to use and/or operate a computer.

     Adult basic education students were surveyed by Massoud (1991) regarding age and gender and their relationship in determining students' attitudes toward computers.  Results showed no significant difference between attitudes toward computers and age.  However, the same was not true regarding the respondent's gender.  Male students seemed to have more positive attitudes than female students toward the use of computers.

     In a study involving 222 students in grades 8 through 10, Levin and Gordon (1989) tried to identify the effect of gender and computer experience on attitudes toward computers.  Their findings suggested that previous exposure to computers had a stronger influence on the subjects' attitudes than did gender.  The authors concluded that since boys have more exposure to computers, it is expected that they have a more positive attitude than do girls.

     Ogozalek (1989), surveyed 212 computer science students to determine their attitudes toward computers, she concluded "Women seems to be full of contradictions and confusion in their attitudes toward computers."

     At the college level, Popovich, Hide, and Zakrajsek (1987) by conducting a survey with undergraduate students found out that female students presented more negative reactions to computers than did male students.  They also concluded that the number of hours spent per week using a computer and the number of college level computer courses taken differ greatly among male and female students.

     Some researchers have found, however, that no significant difference exists between male and female students and their attitudes toward computers.  Morris (1989) conducted an interesting survey where he examines the relationship between age, education, gender, and household income and attitudes toward computers.  The results showed that gender and household income did not seem to influence the subjects' attitudes toward computers.  On the other hand, age and education resulted to be significantly related.

     Gressard and Loyd (1987) investigated 356 students to determine the effects of math anxiety and gender on computer attitudes.  They reported that the correlation between gender and computer attitudes were "... generally low, and not statistically significant."  Prior research conducted by the same authors suggested that students' attitudes toward computers were significantly affected by computer experience and not by sex (Gressard and Loyd, 1985).

     In summary, seven references related to students' attitudes and anxiety toward computers were found to be pertinent to this study.  Three studies reported the findings of significant differences between male and female students and their attitudes toward the use of computers (Massoud, 1991; Ogozalek, 1989; Popovich, Hide, and Zakrajsek, 1987).  Four studies reported that no significant differences between male and female subject and their attitudes toward the use of computers were found (Levin and Gordon, 1989; Morris, 1989; Gressard and Loyd, 1987; Gressard and Loyd, 1985).

Methodology
    Forty-three community college students enrolled in introductory computer courses participated in this survey.  Eighteen subjects (42%) were male and twenty-five subjects (58%) were female.

    This study employed a 10-item questionnaire developed by Gressard and Loyd (1986) called Computer Anxiety Subscale.  The ten statements are part of a thirty-item instrument called Computer Attitude Scale (CAS).  A 0.95 alpha internal consistency reliability factor was reported for the CAS by the authors.  The Computer Attitude Scale was also tested by Woodrow (1991) and found that "Its subscale and overall reliability coefficients were high indicating that each subscale was stable enough to be used separately ..."

     A four-point Likert response scale was employed with responses ranging from strongly agree (4) to strongly disagree (1).  Thus, a high mean score will mean a low level of anxiety toward the use of computers.

Results
Demographic Data
     The questionnaire was administered to forty-three undergraduate students.  Eighteen subjects (42%) were male and twenty-five subjects (58%) were female.  Thirty subjects (69%) indicated that they work full-time, eight subjects (19%) indicated that they work part-time, and five subjects (12%) did not work.  The age group of 21-25 years old received the highest frequency of responses; nine subjects (21%).  Table 1 presents the age group distribution:

Table 1. Age Group Distribution
Age Group Total Male Female
  Up to 20 5 1 4
  21 - 25 9 5 4
  26 - 30 6 2 4
  31 - 35 8 4 4
  36 - 40 8 4 4
  41 - 45 4 1 3
  46 - 50 1 1 0
  Over 50 2 0 2

    The question regarding previous computer knowledge (use at home, use at work, previous training, ownership, etc.) yielded that twenty-nine subjects (67%) had some previous training and/or use computers on a daily basis.  Of this total, 14 subjects were male and 15 subjects were female.  On the other hand, a total of 14 subjects (33%) reported no previous computer knowledge.  Of this total, four subjects were male and ten subjects were female.

     The question regarding the subjects' education goals produced promising data.  When asked if they plan to further their education after receiving an associate's degree, 26 subjects (60%) (nine males and 17 females) indicated that they plan to attend a four-year college or university.  Fourteen (33%) (seven males and seven females) indicated that they were not sure.  Two male subjects (5%) were already attending a four-year college or university, and only one subject (female) indicated no plans to pursue a bachelor's degree.

Computer Anxiety
     The overall mean score (N=43) was found to be 3.10 (std=0.718).  Male students (N=18) had an mean of 3.14 (std=0.675).  Female students (N=25) had an mean of 3.06 (std=0.747).

     Analysis indicated that the difference in mean scores between male and female students was not found to be statistically significant.  Further statistical analysis found no significant difference between mean scores and age group.

     Previous computer experience did not produce significant differences in mean scores.

     Further analysis of the mean scores was conducted within individual questionnaire items (Table 2).  The only statistically significant difference (p=.05) was found in item #5 (It wouldn't bother me at all to take more computer courses.)  It had an mean male score of 3.44 (std=0.511) and an mean female score of 3.08 (std=0.702).

     Another difference (p=.15), possibly irrelevant, was found with item #7 (I feel at ease in a computer class.)  It produced an mean male score of 3.11 (std=0.676) and an mean female score of 2.88 (std=0.726).

Table 2.  Mean Score by Statement on the
Computer Anxiety Subscale (Gressard and Loyd, 1986)

4 = Strongly Agree
3 = Agree
2 = Disagree
1 = Strongly Disagree
Statement Mean Male Female
1. Computers do not scare me at all. 2.91 2.94 2.88
2. Working with a computer would make me very nervous. 1.86 1.83 1.88
3. I do not feel threatened when others talk about computers. 2.77 2.78 2.76
4. I feel aggressive and hostile toward computers. 1.60 1.56 1.64
5. It wouldn't bother me at all to take more computer courses. 3.23 3.44 3.08*
6. Computers make me feel uncomfortable. 1.84 1.83 1.84
7. I feel at ease in a computer class. 2.98 3.11 2.88**
8. I get a sinking feeling when I think of trying to use a computer. 1.79 1.83 1.76
9. I would feel comfortable working with a computer. 3.12 3.22 3.04
10. Computers make me feel uneasy and confused. 1.95 2.06 1.88
(*   p=.05)
(** p=.15)
 
Discussion

     The results suggest that, overall, students have a low level of anxiety toward the use of computers regardless of gender, age group, and previous computer experience.  Thus, this study seems to be in line  with the results found by several other researchers (Levin and Gordon, 1989; Morris, 1989; Gressard and Loyd, 1987; Gressard and Loyd, 1985).  The difference found in two questionnaire items (one perhaps negligible) seems  to be in agreement with Ogozalek's findings in late 1980s.  She wrote, "... as women gain experience, they characterize computers as more unpredictable, when it seems that just the opposite would be the case."  (Ogozalek, 1989).

     Since this was a classroom research, the author had the opportunity to observe these students through the entire semester.  It needs to be noted that in the weekly computer lab sessions female students demonstrated some anxiety toward the use of computers as well as toward computer science as a future profession.  Their attitudes were not compatible with their answers to the survey and subsequent findings of this research.

     It is possible that when the anxiety scale was administered (the first day of classes) some students, probably most females, tried to show that they felt comfortable in taking computer science courses and using computers as a tool.  They probably tried to show that they belonged in that course and wanted to fully participate in this male dominated field of study.

     It would be very interesting to conduct a qualitative investigation in the are of computer anxiety and attitudes toward the use of computers.  Perhaps female students through a focus group or one-to-one interview process would feel less intimidate to truly shed some light in this somewhat contradictory and misleading field of anxiety and attitudes toward computers and computer science.  Students, regardless of gender, would not feel pressured "to circle the right answer" on the Likert scale.  They would feel free to open up their minds and express their true feelings about the subject being studied.
 

References


     Craig, J.S. (1994).  Managing computer-related anxiety and stress within organizations.  Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 22, 309-325.

    Gressard, C.P., & Loyd, B.H. (1987).  An investigation of the effects of math anxiety and sex on computer attitudes.  School Science and Mathematics, 87, 125-135.

    Gressard, C.P., & Loyd, B.H. (1986).  Validation of a new computer attitude scale.  Association for Educational Data Systems Journal, 18, 295-301.

     Gressard, C.P., & Loyd, B.H. (1985).  Validation studies of a new computer attitudes scale.  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 264 297).

     Levin, T., & Gordon, C. (1989).  Effect of gender and computer experience on attitudes toward computers.  Journal of Educational Computing Research, 5, 69-88.

     Massoud, S. (1991).  Computer attitudes and computer knowledge of adult students.  Journal of Educational Computing Research, 7, 269-291.

     Morris, D.C. (1989).  A survey of age and attitudes toward computers.  Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 17, 73-78.

     Ogozalek, V.Z. (1989).  A comparison of male and female computer science students' attitudes toward computers.  SIGCSE Bulletin, 21, 8-14.

     Popovich, P.M., Hyde, K.R., & Zakrajsek, T. (1987).  The development of the attitudes toward computer usage scale.  Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47, 261-269.

     Woodrow, J.E.J. (1991).  A comparison of four computer attitude scales.  Journal of Educational Computing Research, 7, 165-187.