Gender influences in the classroom interaction of young children using computers.

Using videotaped observations collected over one half of an academic year in classes composed of grade one and grade two students, this research examined the cooperative and aggressive interactions of students at the computers. In contrast to previous findings, this research discovered that girls in one class were more physically aggressive than boys, and that there was no association between gender and aggressive interaction at the other. Similarly, there was no association between gender and cooperative interaction at either location. Although some gender related differences have been reported on ask/respond type behavior, this research found that girls and boys asked and responded appropriately to questions by the other sex with equal frequency. Like previous research, the finding of same-sex preferences in interaction was supported, however problems in cross-sex interaction were not found. The structure of the learning environment and the highly evocative and unique nature of the computer were put forward as explanations for the above findings. Furthermore, the use of videotaped observations revealed dimensions of aggressive and cooperative interactions that may have been unnoticed in previous studies.Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1990 .N388. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 30-03, page: 0464. Chairperson: Adolf Ehrentraut. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1990