Girls and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) 7-10

While the integrated use of ICT in learning and teaching is essential for all students, many girls are falling behind their male peers, especially in the acquisition of advanced skills.

Girls may need support to consider undertaking courses in male dominated areas such as computer programming and computer engineering. There is also a need to provide information to students and their parents and carers which challenges stereotyped perceptions about suitable careers and jobs for women in the area of ICT.

Preliminary findings from a study conducted by the Department for Women reveal that the number of girls taking ICT subjects falls by half from Year 8 to Year 10 (35% to 17% of girls). The reasons offered for this are that girls perceive ICT courses as leading to low skilled jobs and that they prefer other areas of study which they see as more serious. Where girls chose ICT subjects, the usefulness of skills and an interest in the subject were given as reasons for subject choice.

Schools can support girls in the area of ICT by:

• providing a forum for prospective ICT students to discuss courses with current students
• organising for mentoring of girls by women from the ICT industry
• providing information to students and their parents about ICT careers and jobs that include the use of ICT
• making the connections for students between classroom activities and careers using ICT
• planning activities and tasks that are appealing to girls
• ensuring girls have equal access to computers
• ensuring girls undertake a variety of roles when using ICT.

Teachers of ICT found that, although girls were keen to undertake studies in this area in the junior school, they did not necessarily undertake ICT subjects in the senior school.

• course content in Year 9 was reviewed to ensure links to the real world of work were clarified
• teaching and learning programs were modified to include explicit connections with subject content and work related skills
• the content of teaching and learning programs was revised to ensure there were connections between what was taught and the skills required in employment.

• teachers became aware of the attitudes of girls towards ICT when choosing subjects for the senior years and could actively teach to dispel any myths that existed
• better links were made between subject content and the world of work in the teaching and learning program
• girls became more aware of the variety of jobs involving ICT that were available to them and of the relevance of skills in this area.