Predicting pathways to optional summer science experiences by socioeconomic status and the impact on science attitudes and skills

Allison S Liu,Christian D Schunn

doi:10.1186/s40594-020-00247-y

Abstract

BackgroundLarge achievement and motivation gaps exist in science between students from higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Middle and high school are an important time to address these disparities, as science motivation typically declines for all students at this time, leading to particularly low science interest and achievement for lower SES students on average when the gaps are left unaddressed. Students’ control over their free time also increases at this time, providing opportunities for optional science experiences that may improve science attitudes and skills to combat these achievement and motivation gaps. Using a longitudinal dataset of 2252 middle and high school students from two regions in the USA, we investigate (1) disparities between higher and lower SES students in participation in optional summer science experiences and post-summer science attitudes and skills; (2) whether the child and family characteristics that predict participation in home-related, nature-related, and STEM camp experiences in the summer differ for higher and lower SES students; and (3) how participation in these types of optional summer science experiences contribute to post-summer science attitudes and skills when controlling for self-selection biases.ResultsHigher SES students reported greater participation in optional summer science experiences and higher post-summer science attitudes and sensemaking skills. Fascination for science was more important for participation in home-related and nature-related experiences for higher SES participants, whereas science competency beliefs were more important for lower SES participants. For STEM camp experiences, higher SES participants with higher competency beliefs and lower SES participants with lower scientific sensemaking skills were more likely to participate. After controlling for self-selection biases that may influence participation in these experiences, we found that home-related and nature-related experiences had a positive impact on students’ attitudes toward science.ConclusionsOur findings suggest two pathways for increasing participation in optional summer science experiences for higher SES and lower SES students. Specifically, it may be helpful to support interest in science for higher SES students and competency beliefs for lower SES students. Greater participation in home-related and nature-related summer science experiences can also increase science attitudes during middle and high school.

Highlights

Large science achievement gaps exist in US schools based on socioeconomic status (SES)
Does participation in optional summer science experiences and post-summer science attitudes and skills differ based on SES? We ran three one-way ANOVAs on participation in home-related experiences, nature-related experiences, and STEM camps with SES as a between-subjects variable
Correlations between the continuous mean SES score and participation in each type of summer experience are shown in Table 5 and correspond with the SES group results, with mean SES positively correlating with higher participation in all three types of optional science experiences

Summary

Introduction

Large science achievement gaps exist in US schools based on socioeconomic status (SES). Higher SES may allow parents more time to spend directly supporting their children’s learning (Betancur et al, 2018) Another theory suggests that SES can constrain students’ educational expectations and goals. Families from lower SES backgrounds may make decisions about available educational options based on the costs of further education, the expected probability of success in education, or the expected benefits for their family, more so than higher SES families (Breen & Goldthorpe, 1997) This may manifest as the value that students place on science or the factors that students consider most when making decisions about science (e.g., participating in optional science activities, taking science classes). Large achievement and motivation gaps exist in science between students from higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Using a longitudinal dataset of 2252 middle and high school students from two regions in the USA, we investigate (1) disparities between higher and lower SES students in participation in optional summer science experiences and post-summer science attitudes and skills; (2) whether the child and family characteristics that predict participation in homerelated, nature-related, and STEM camp experiences in the summer differ for higher and lower SES students; and (3) how participation in these types of optional summer science experiences contribute to post-summer science attitudes and skills when controlling for self-selection biases

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