Name
Title | ||
|---|---|---|
The influence of gender and age on choosing computing courses at South African universities |
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
Reportedly more than 50% of the people working in the ICT sector have made a career change from another field or have joined it after qualifying in another discipline. The number of women choosing to join the ICT work force at a later stage in their careers is markedly higher than the number who make this decision early. This paper reports on an extensive survey among students at four very different South African universities regarding the factors they consider important in deciding on an ideal career. Since, in the case of older students a decision to start studying computing may point to a decision to change career, the responses given by males and females and between different age groups have been compared. The aim is to identify whether reasons for career choices differ between the four groups. The research has found that self-efficacy and career progress have different importance for the different age groups. In addition, quality of life issues, financial resources and flexibility related to career are valued differently by males and females. However, there is only one factor that can be identified as viewed differently by both the different genders and one of the different age groups. This is computer self-efficacy where older women reduce the significant gap in this regard as they get older. |
Year | DOI | Venue |
|---|---|---|
2011 | 10.1145/2072221.2072223 | SAICSIT Conf. |
Keywords | Field | DocType |
computing course,ideal career,different importance,career progress,different age group,older student,older woman,different south african university,career change,career choice,different gender,quality of life,age groups,age,self efficacy | Medical education,Age groups,Quality of life,Computer science,Knowledge management,Management,Information and Communications Technology | Conference |
Citations | PageRank | References |
0 | 0.34 | 21 |
Authors | ||
5 | ||
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trish Alexander | 1 | 0 | 0.68 |
| Marthie Schoeman | 2 | 1 | 1.04 |
| Estelle de Kock | 3 | 16 | 2.05 |
| Bennett Alexander | 4 | 0 | 0.34 |
| Roxi Piderit | 5 | 0 | 0.34 |