Abstract
The current paper investigates gender disparities in digital competence among N=1526 rural middle school students from the Republic of Moldova by employing the Youth Digital Skills Indicator (yDSI). While prior research has highlighted gender's role in digital exclusion, recent studies in both developed and developing countries suggest narrowing gender gaps. Similarly, the current study findings reveal no statistically significant gender differences in Information Navigation and Processing, Communication and Interaction, and Problem-Solving. However, significant disparities emerge in Digital Content Creation [t(1425) = 4.20, p = .000] and Safety [t(1421) = 2.49, p = .000], favoring girls. Boys' lower scores in digital safety warrant further investigation due to potential implications for their exposure to digital threats. These findings underscore the evolving landscape of gender-related digital skills in Moldovan rural middle schools. Keywords: digital divide; gender; online education; digital inequalities; social stratification
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