Digital Skills and Gender Equity: Perceptions and Practices of Portuguese Primary Education Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the digital skills and pedagogical practices using digital technology among primary teachers (first CEB), as well as to map their understanding and practices of promoting gender equality using digital technology. To this end, an online questionnaire survey was conducted among teachers, which yielded 3871 valid responses, representing 17.5% of the population. The sample structure is identical to that of the population, in terms of sociodemographic and territorial characteristics, as well as to the years of schooling covered. It was found that teachers perceive themselves as digitally competent to carry out the essential part of their teaching tasks. Most have already tried to carry out a diverse set of pedagogical practices and activities using digital technology. However, as the overwhelming majority did not find differences between the uses that boys and girls make of digital technology, they also do not act to promote digital skills differently among girls. Some contextual variables were also found that explain these differences in perception and practices regarding digital in education.

Keywords

• digital gender divide
• teachers’ perceptions
• pedagogical practices
• Portuguese primary teachers