It's a situation that some experts fear will only get worse. Haag directed the research for the project and edited the final report. She attributes girls' lack of interest, in part, to gender bias in educational software and to gender stereotyping in computer games. Those factors contribute to the marked difference in attitudes shown by boys and girls toward computers and technology, she said. Girls seem to have a less confident attitude toward technology.
Boys use words like 'special' and 'important,' in describing computers and technology.
The report continues the Educational Foundation's work to determine what steers women away from science and math studies at an early age. In June, the Educational Foundation formed a special commission, which includes MIT professor Sherry Turkle, astronaut Mae Jemison, Wired Ventures co-founder Jane Metcalfe, and SBC Communications executive Patricia Diaz Dennis, to study the factors influencing schoolgirls' interests and course of study. They expect to release a comprehensive report next year that will be used to formulate policy recommendations for federally funded educational programs. The AAUW is continuing to study how schools reinforce girls' perceptions of their competence, guiding them toward less difficult or non-technological courses of study. It also reported that although boys are more likely to flunk a grade, girls are likelier to drop out when they are held back.