Using Autocorrect Software for Learning English as a Foreign Language among University Students: A Cross-comparison of Gender

The aim of the current study was investigating Autocorrect (AC) software use among male and female engineering students to learn English. 91 engineering students (female=42, male=49) who enrolled in general English courses participated in the study. They completed AC software use scale with four factors that assess students’ use of AC software on their technological devices with respect to (a) awareness of how AC functions, (b) educational value of AC, (c) dependence on AC, and (d) the way AC software helps English spelling. The result of primary analysis revealed higher means for male students in comparison to female students considering the total scale and its four components. The result of multivariate analysis of variance supported a significant difference on the combined dependent variable, that is AC use among male and female students. However, further analysis by considering the Tests of Between-Subjects Effects showed that the only difference that reached the statistical significance was component 1, awareness of how AC software functions.