ERIC Number: EJ1436159
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2154-8455
EISSN: EISSN-2154-8463
Finnish Parents' Science Capital and Its Association with Sociodemographic Issues
International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, v14 n3 p257-276 2024
Science capital consists of science-related cultural and social capital and science-related behaviours and practices. This study aims to clarify the core dimensions of science capital among Finnish parents through consideration of how parents' educational degree, profession, age and residential area are associated with their science capital. To test this, a survey was conducted with a sample of 740 parents in Finland aged 26 to 69 years. Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the science capital dimensions and confirmatory factor analysis supported the final seven-factor model. Differences in parents' responses, including by sociodemographic background, were measured using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The core dimension of cultural capital focuses on the valuing of science in society. Behaviour and practices consist of everyday and informal learning in community spaces, and social capital is strongly linked to future affinity and science identity. Parents' residential areas and educational degrees seem to have the largest effects on different dimensions. However, a parent's level of education, profession or residential area do not seem to affect their engagement in everyday science activities with their children. These results provide support to discuss inequalities among families, and ways to increase family science capital.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Parents, Sciences, Cultural Capital, Social Capital, Individual Characteristics, Educational Attainment, Employment, Age, Place of Residence, Behavior, Informal Education, Self Concept, Parent Student Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A