– Gender and race/ethnicity are associated with science identity but not with discovery orientation.
– The positive association between discovery orientation and science identity is mediated by science interest, importance, and reflected appraisal.
– There are statistically significant differences in science interest between groups. Science interest is higher among white boys than for minority girls. Overall, science importance, perceived science ability, and science reflected appraisal means are also fairly high, particularly compared with science other-ID and science self-ID.
– Science importance is higher among white and minority boys than for white and minority girls. Perceived science ability is higher among white than minority students. White boys and girls have higher scores than minority boys and girls on the questions about parents and teachers, giving them positive messages about their science performance (reflected appraisal).
– White boys have significantly higher science other-ID than all other groups, while only white boys and minority girls differ significantly on science self-ID.
2018 - Discovery Orientation, Cognitive Schemas, and Disparities in Science Identity in Early Adolescence
This work is guided by social and cognitive theories of identities. The authors specifically reference the construct of science identity.
-All sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students enrolled in science classes at a middle school in a midsized Midwestern city were asked to participate in our survey during winter 2013–2014.
-Seventy-two percent (444) returned permission forms and participated in the online survey during science class resulting in an analytic sample (N=441).
DV: Science Identity (self- and other-identified)
IV: Discovery Orientation ((1) “How much do you like learning about new discoveries?” (2) “How curious are you about the world?” (3) “How much do you like exploring nature?”)
Controls: Demographics, science interest, perceived science ability, science importance, science reflected appraisal.
– The authors used structural equation modeling to assess direct and indirect paths from discovery orientation and gender/status characteristics to science self-ID and
science other-ID.