Why secondary students hold misconceptions about ICTs? A study with a sample of Spanish adolescents

Abstract

The present study pursued the main goal of analyzing stereotypical misconceptions about ICTs and people working within the ICT field. The sample consisted of N=900 students enrolled in the last course of the Spanish compulsory secondary education. Most of them come from intermediate households, with a mean of age of 15 years old. Three open ending questions were included in a broader questionnaire administered in two consecutive academic courses. The answers to the questions were categorized grounded in social psychology theories about stereotypical behavior. The results show that students account more frequently for aspects related to personality traits about ICT professionals. Some professions within the ICT field were also reported. In general terms, whilst most students informed about masculine or nor masculine/nor feminine models of reference within the ICT field, few feminine models or reference (such as family members or professionals) were associated with the ICT-field.