Gender, technology and education: A case study of the gender differences in the use of ICT

This paper explores the gender differences in the ways that students of second grade of high school use ICT. The study has focused on a private and coeducational school in Lima, Peru, that has incorporated the ICT in a model 1:1 (one digital device per student). Through a study-case approach and with quantitative (survey) and qualitative methods (participant observation and semi-structured interview), this paper seeks to demonstrate the gender differences in the use of ICT between boys and girls with digital devices (chromebooks) and how these differences are related to gender stereotypes. While showing a slight difference in the "operational use', the study reveals marked differences in the "creative use" and "recreative use". Furthermore, three gender stereotypes were found in three different fields: academic, creative and technological. Based on these findings, this study suggests that technologies reproduce gender stereotypes.