The technological gender gap emerges only within Technology-oriented pathways, with parity in Arts and Sciences¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Within-pathway tests found no significant gender difference in active creation confidence in Arts and Humanities (n=48, p=0.841) or Sciences (n=75, p=0.142), but a significant gap in the Technology pathway (n=111, p=0.046). → Nicolas Rodriguez-Alvarez 2026

Evidence¶

Nicolas Rodriguez-Alvarez 2026¶

Nicolas Rodriguez-Alvarez, Alan Martin Blanch-Marsolini, Samuel Vara-Gutierrez, Hugo Gil-Garcia, Javier Calzon-Dueñas, and Fernando Rodriguez-Merino. (2026). The Illusion of Competence: Self-Perceived Digital Literacy and AI Readiness Among European Secondary Students. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.26010 doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.26010

q2 · i? · associational · r1

Intra-pathway analysis using independent t-tests with Welch's correction compared male-female self-efficacy within each elective field; only the Technology pathway (n=111) showed a significant gap, the authors call "statistically significant".

"However, within the Technology-oriented pathway (𝑛= 111), a statistically significant gender gap emerged (𝑝= 0.046), as illustrated in Figure 3, with male students reporting disproportionately higher self-efficacy than their female classmates."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Gender — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause

Related Claims¶

• Girls show less confidence and interest in math and science from early adolescence, and a strong math/science self-concept predicts course choice and performance for both genders — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Secondary students report near-maximum confidence in passive digital tasks but sharply lower confidence in active creation and algorithmic logic — related
• Male students report significantly higher overall technological self-efficacy than female students (p = 0.001) — a broader claim this one bears on
• Technology-pathway students report higher active-creation self-efficacy than Arts and Humanities students (p < 0.001) — related
• New Mexico CTE enrollment shows breadth over depth and demographic underrepresentation, with females only 19% of STEM CTE enrollment versus 49% of the total population — related
• No statistically significant gender differences in perceived learning outcomes across any dimension among higher vocational students — related