Exploring Gender Disparities and Collaborative Learning in IT Education

Despite efforts to foster gender diversity, women remain underrepresented in Information Technology (IT). Existing research indicates that women often underestimate their abilities in comparison to men. This study investigates this perceived performance gap hypothesis. This study is unique for its extended scope spanning six years and its focus on postgraduate IT students with 39% of women. This study first examines performance disparities between genders in introductory programming. Findings reveal minimal differences, suggesting that women perform comparably to men. However, to encourage broader participation, there is a need for initiatives that enhance the learning environment for women. This study also explores the influence of collaborative learning on performance. No significant improvements in project performance were identified and no significant performance differences were found between genders in group-based projects. The findings, which reveal the intricate interplay among gender, performance, and collaborative learning, are significant for teaching practice, especially at the postgraduate level.