ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTITUDES TOWARD SCIENCE AND THEIR COURSE OF STUDIES IN HIGH-SCHOOL

This paper reports on a unique longitudinal study of adolescents which probes the relationship between the attitudes of grade 6 male and fem ale students toward their school subjects as well as toward adult occu pations and their actual course of study five years later. The finding s indicate that there is almost no connection between these attitudes and their course of study in grade 11. However, a significant differen ce was found with regard to the importance grade six students assigned to the most scientific occupations and their future academic or nonac ademic location in the course of study. The major finding is the impor tance of gender differences in their selection of courses of study bas ed on the occupations they consider important. These gender difference s are explained in light of general gender relations in society.