Bridging The Gender Gap: Investigating Disparities In Student Communication Skills In The Digital Education Era

Communication skills are one of the primary skills that students need to have. Previous research indicates a tendency for differences in communication skills based on gender. For this reason, this research investigates how learning in the digital era can enhance communication skills in students aspiring to become prospective teachers and explores whether there are differences in communication skills based on gender. The research employs a comparative descriptive method to assess the level of student's communication skills, considering gender as one of the influencing factors. The sample consists of 19 male and 19 female students selected through quota sampling. Data analysis conducted using SPSS reveals that overall communication skills are 'good,' except multilingual skills, which are 'sufficient.' Surprisingly, digital technology, particularly translator apps, negatively impacts students' ability to communicate in foreign languages. Gender differences in communication skills were found insignificant when educational opportunities were equal, showing similar skill levels among both genders. This study contributes to scholarship by demonstrating that using digital technology in the learning process can enhance students' communication skills. Additionally, this research proves that, with equal education, gender differences do not affect communication skills. This finding can assist in designing more inclusive and effective learning strategies for developing communication skills in the digital era.