– The findings suggest that, as early as the beginning of high school, students hold different motivational beliefs for biology, chemistry, and physics
– Caucasian boys reported higher parental behaviors and motivational beliefs compared to Latino boys, Latina girls, and Caucasian girls.
– Latina girls reported the lowest parental behaviors and motivational beliefs.
– Parent education and Spanish language use partially explained some of these differences suggesting ethnic differences are in part due to differences among Caucasians and Latinos on parent education and language use.
– Parents’ positivity, co-activity and school-focused behaviors predicted higher adolescent ability self-concepts and importance values in all three sciences for all adolescents in this study.
– High school students who do not enroll in science courses or who are not adequately motivated might inadvertently close the door to future educational and occupational STEM possibilities.
– Many of the gender and ethnic disparities prevalent in occupational pursuits are present at the beginning of high school. Parents can act as support of their adolescents because many of these behaviors do not require parents to be science experts.
2015 - Parental Support and High School Students’ Motivation in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: Understanding Differences Among Latino and Caucasian Boys and Girls
Eccles’ expectancy-value model is the leading theory that includes youths’ ability self-concepts and their value beliefs within the same framework.
Participants were drawn from three public high schools in a large metropolitan area in the southwest. All ninth grade adolescents were invited to participate. In total, 1,324 ninth grade students completed the survey. Because the questions in this study focus on processes for Latino and Caucasian students, data from Latino and Caucasian students were retained for this paper. The sample included 988 students (51% Latino, 49% female). Participants completed a self-report survey during class in fall 2012.
Variables included scales for parents’ behavior, self-concept of ability, and importance value of biology, chemistry, and physics. Controls included science class (0=basic,1=honors), science grade (0=F/E through 4=A), parental SES indicators, and language use.