ABSTRACT
Until recently, an underlying assumption in the literature on occupations has been that new technology would affect the work of men and women uniformly. Current research on occupational skilling, however, reveals that this is not necessarily the case, suggesting a need to examine more closely the experiences of women upon the introduction of new technology to their workplace (Wajcman 1991; Wright 1987). The consequences of computer technology on the work of elementary-school teachers offers an opportunity to consider this issue in greater depth. When effectively integrated into their work routines, computers offer teachers an important instrument with which they may develop relevant technical skills, enhance their teaching strategies, and expand their autonomy in the elementary-school setting (Evans-Andris 1991). Because of differences in computing styles, the introduction of computers in elementary schools does not affect the work of men and women in the same way. Even though men are more likely to possess technical computer skills (Kay 1992; Lewis 1987), among those teachers who demonstrate proficiency with computers, women are more likely to integrate the computer as a relevant teaching tool (Evans-Andris 1991; Lewis 1987). In an environment that traditionally has been characterized by relatively homogeneous skills and occupational rewards among workers, the introduction of computers may have critical implications for the structure of women's work at the elementary school level.
