Gendered Representations of Digital Technology among Teachers: Insights from France and French-Speaking Switzerland

Abstract

This study explores gendered representations of digital technology among seventeen primary school teachers in France and Switzerland. These representations distinguish gender-differentiated relationships with digital technology: girls are associated with communicative and relational uses, whereas boys are linked to video games and technical aspects. This differentiation is accompanied by an implicit hierarchy that values male practices, thereby extending the gendered division of knowledge (Mosconi, 1994, 2005). Explanations oscillate between naturalizing interpretations and critical readings of these differences. However, these representations vary according to context (pedagogical settings, individual sensitivity) and highlight the importance of teacher training and curricula that are attentive to issues of gender equality.