Cited by 302Gender and Technology in EducationDigital literacy in educationEducational Strategies and Epistemologies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 70 of the 71 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 27 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Is there a gender gap? A meta-analysis of the gender differences in students' ICT literacy

Open access
Siddiq, Fazilat, Scherer, Ronny·2019·Educational Research Review

Abstract

The study of gender differences in academic achievement has been one of the core topics in education, especially because it may uncover possible gaps and inequalities in certain domains. Whereas these differences have largely been examined in traditional domains, such as mathematics, reading, and science, the existing body of empirical studies in the domain of ICT literacy is considerably smaller, yet abounds in diverse findings. One of the persistent findings however is that boys consider their ICT literacy to be higher than that of girls. This meta-analysis tests whether the same pattern holds for students’ actual performance on ICT literacy tasks, as measured by performance-based assessments. In total, 46 effect sizes were extracted from 23 empirical studies using a random-effects model. Overall, the gender differences in ICT literacy were significant, positive, and favored girls (g = + 0.12, 95 % CI = [0.08, 0.16]). This effect varied between studies, and moderation analyses indicated that the grade level students were taught at moderated its magnitude—effect sizes were larger in primary school as compared to secondary school. In conclusion, our findings contrast those obtained from previous meta-analyses that were based on self-reported ICT literacy and suggest that the ICT gender gap may not be as severe as it had been claimed to be.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This meta-analysis synthesizes 23 studies and 46 effect sizes on gender differences in K-12 students' performance-based ICT literacy. It finds a small but significant overall advantage for girls (Hedges' g = +0.12), moderated only by educational level, with larger effects in primary than secondary school.

Key findings

  • Overall random-effects model: girls outperformed boys, g = +0.124, 95% CI [0.084, 0.160], k = 46, z = 6.8, p < .001; fixed-effects model was similar, g = +0.131, 95% CI [0.120, 0.142]. Significant heterogeneity was present, Q(45) = 407.3, p < .001, I² = 89.0%, τ² = 0.012.
  • Educational level was the only significant moderator: primary school g = +0.201 vs. secondary school g = +0.113, p < .10, explaining 7.5% of between-study variance. Task interactivity, skills assessed, test fairness, sampling, region, and publication status did not significantly moderate effects.
  • Publication-bias and sensitivity checks: trim-and-fill adjusted effect was g = +0.142, 95% CI [0.104, 0.180], k = 50; Egger's test was non-significant, t(44) = -0.79, p = .43; fail-safe N was 7898 at p = .05. Correcting for unreliability gave random-effects g = +0.135, 95% CI [0.097, 0.174]; aggregating ICILS 2013 as one effect gave g = +0.118, 95% CI [0.056, 0.180], k = 26.
  • The overall sample was N = 121,614 students (girls n = 59,489; boys n = 62,125); 87% of effect sizes came from secondary school and 13% from primary school, with average score reliability 0.86.

Methods

  • Meta-analysis of performance-based ICT literacy assessments in K-12 education, extending Siddiq et al.'s (2016) systematic review and updating the search from November 2014 to August 2017; 23 studies yielded 46 effect sizes.
  • Effect sizes were transformed into Hedges' g from means/SDs, t-values, or F-values; a random-effects model used the DerSimonian-Laird estimator, with moderator analyses for study, sample, and publication characteristics.
  • Publication bias was assessed via funnel plot, trim-and-fill, Egger's regression, fail-safe N, and p-curve; sensitivity analyses compared uncorrected vs. reliability-corrected effects and different treatments of ICILS 2013 effect sizes.

Limitations

  • Stated: the broad, unidimensional conceptualization of ICT literacy produced only one overall effect size; the small number of studies reporting sub-dimensions limited finer-grained analyses. Primary school students' digital competence is less often assessed.
  • Stated: between-study variation may be caused by assessment design features not captured by coding (e.g., time on tasks, test-taking effort, prior experience) and by varying methodologies/models; motivational constructs and ICT stereotype beliefs were not examined.
  • Evident: heterogeneity remained largely unexplained (I² = 89.0%; educational level explained only 7.5%), and the primary-school moderation estimate rests on only 6 effect sizes (13.0%), so it is fragile; most effect sizes came from secondary school, limiting generalizability to primary education.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.edurev.2019.03.007

Cites

70 of 70 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Verification

Claims the paper makes

36 Own result · 27 Own interpretation · 24 Not checked yet · 3 Own method · 1 No basis given

Verify all 27 references — free account

Show all 41 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 38
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 15
50 of 50
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No prior meta-analysis has addressed inconsistent findings on gender differences in students' performance-based ICT literacy.

    “To our knowledge, this issue of inconsistent research findings concerning possible gender differences in students' ICT literacy performance has not yet been addressed.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    A synthesis of gender differences in students' ICT literacy in K-12 education is lacking.

    “To our best knowledge, a synthesis of this kind is still lacking in the existing body of research-this is surprising because such a synthesis could provide more detailed insights into the magnitude and direction of a digital divide that otherwise would neither be available nor obvious based on individual studies (Fan & Chen, 2001).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The diversity in findings of primary empirical studies has not yet been explained by study, sample, or publication characteristics.

    “It should be noted that this diversity in the findings of primary, empirical studies have not yet been explained by study, sample, or publication characteristics.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    ICT literacy can be treated as a unidimensional construct for the purpose of estimating an overall gender difference.

    “Our unidimensional view on ICT literacy provided us with only one overall effect size.”
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Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Statistics recomputed

Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.

  • Consistentz = 23.2reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 23.2,p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 6.8reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 6.8, p < .001”

  • Consistentχ²(1) = 255.3reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “χ 2 (1) = 255.3,p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 7.4reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 7.4, p < .001”

  • Consistentt(44) = -0.79reported p = .43 · recomputed p = .434

    “t(44) = -0.79,p = .43”

  • Consistentz = 25reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 25.0,p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 6.9reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 6.9, p < .001”

  • Consistentχ²(1) = 311.4reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “χ 2 (1) = 311.4,p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 7.6reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 7.6, p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 3.7reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 3.7, p < .001”

  • Consistentz = 3.9reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001

    “z = 3.9, p < .001”

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Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

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Citations

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Chu, 2012, Vol. 15

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Metadata

Authors
Siddiq, F., & Scherer, R.
Affiliations
  • University of South-Eastern Norway (NO)
  • University of Oslo (NO)
Corresponding author
Siddiq, Fazilat
Venue
Educational Research Review
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-06
Volume
27
Pages
205-217
ISSN
1747-938X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2930535595
Cited by
297
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 40 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 24
FWCI
5.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Educational Research Review (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Technology in Education
  • Social Sciences › Education › Digital literacy in education
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Strategies and Epistemologies
Keywords
gender differences, ICT literacy, gender gap, students, performance-based assessment, grade level, elementary school, secondary schools, educational inequality

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