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Reasons Why Female Students Choose to Study Senior IT or Not
ARTICLE

Australian Educational Computing Volume 24, Number 1, ISSN 1443-833X e-ISSN 1443-833X

Abstract

Research has shown that girls do not participate as much as boys in Information Technology (IT) in the senior years of high school. Despite research in the 1990s which identified the under-representation of girls in IT, the same pattern still continues. In addition, the complex reasons for this gender divide, and how to counter it, remain unclear. This case study of a single secondary school further informs the growing body of research literature by reporting on the experiences and opinions of female students who did and did not choose to study senior IT. The participant responses were considered as a whole and related to the wider research and policy literature. The findings identify a number of reasons for non-participation including the "geeky" image of IT, lack of confidence, and lack of female role models. Other, more complex reasons are discussed along with suggestions for future research. (Contains 1 table.)

Citation

Chao, S.H. (2009). Reasons Why Female Students Choose to Study Senior IT or Not. Australian Educational Computing, 24(1), 30-36. Retrieved March 19, 2024 from .

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