Sex Equity in Computer Education: Concerns for Social Studies. ERIC Digest No. '15.

The issue of equal access to and use of computers by boys and girls is reviewed and evaluated from the perspective of social studies content, skills, and goals. Material is arranged in four sections, each introduced by a topic question. The first section discusses the problem of sex equity in computer education. Results of four research studies and surveys are presented. The second section examines the causes of girls ' avoidance of computers and related technologies. A male bias in the culture of computers, the educational context in which computers are used (chiefly science and mathematics classes), and peer influences are cited as the major causes of girls ' avoidance. The third section places the issue of sex equity within the context of social studies education, examining the implications of unequal access to computers for future citizenship participation, career training, and the study of social roles an