Student Achievement and Beliefs Related to Computer and Information Literacy

Abstract

The 2013 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) showed that female students demonstrated higher achievement in computer and information literacy (CIL) than male students in 12 of the 14 countries considered, with an average 19 scale points (or one-fifth of a standard deviation) difference across those 12 countries. An analysis of differential item functioning indicated that female students generally performed relatively better on tasks that involved communication, design, and creativity, while male students generally performed relatively better on more technical tasks, and those concerned with security. Female students took a little longer to complete the test than male students; this may have contributed to their better scores. While there were few differences between female and male students’ basic information and communications technologies (ICT) self-efficacy, on average, male students recorded higher specialized ICT self-efficacy than female students in all 14 countries, and the difference was moderate to large in 12 of the 14 countries. General ICT self-efficacy was positively associated with both male and female CIL achievement to a similar extent in all 14 countries. Advanced ICT self-efficacy, however, was less strongly and less consistently related to CIL achievement.