Computer self-efficacy, gender, and educational background in South Africa.

V.C. Galpin, I. Sanders, H. Turner, and B. Venter.

IEEE Technology and Society, 22(3):43-48, Fall 2003

Special issue on Women and Minorities in Information Technology

Research has demonstrated possible factors for low participation by women, including self-efficacy. This paper considers computer self-efficacy and its relationship to gender and educational background. Self-efficacy is based on self-perception and is defined as the belief an individual has about their ability to perform a particular task. Self-efficacy is important as it influences the choice of activities by an individual, the amount of effort they will expend on a task and how long they will persevere in stressful situations to complete the task. Self-efficacy beliefs about computing may be a factor in whether people choose to get involved in computing. Therefore, self-efficacy is linked to participation rates and hence important to consider in our attempts to understand why people choose to become involved in information technology.

10.1109/MTAS.2003.1237471 

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