Sex Differences in Students' Interest in Certain Discipline Areas of the Social Studies

Abstract

In order to determine if there were sex differences in students' liking or disliking of five discipline areas of the social studies (economics, geography, government, history and psychology/sociology), 2,092 high school seniors in eighteen high schools in northwest Georgia completed a survey form on which they indicated their sex, the discipline area of the social studies discipline they liked best, and the discipline area of the social studies they liked least. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine if there were significant differences at the .05 level between the sexes as to their selection of the social studies area most liked and the social studies area least liked. Boys selected history as the area most liked and psychology/ sociology as the area least liked more often than did girls. Girls selected psychology/sociology as the area most liked more often than did boys.