Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - DP130083
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED330702 AUTHOR: Gorman, Steven; Yu, Ching C.
TITLE: Science Achievement and Home Environment: National
Assessment of Educational Progress 1985-1986.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1990
NOTE: 97 p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association (Boston, MA,
April 16-20, 1990).
ABSTRACT: The relationship between student's home
environment and achievement in science was examined using
data from the 1985-86 National Assessment of Educational
Progress, Science Assessment, for a nationally
representative sample of American school age children in
grades 7 and 11. Science achievement and background data
were also collected for grade 3. The home environment
variables included: (1) parent characteristics; (2)
students' use of free time; (3) educational support of
students at home; and (4) indicators of interest in reading
at home. Mean sample sizes were 11,298 for grade 7 and
6,534 for grade 11. Eighteen tables are presented to relate
these variables to science subscales (life science,
physics, chemistry, earth and space sciences, and nature of
science), while keeping race/ethnicity, gender, and type of
school attended constant. The results support previous
findings that the educational attainment of parents is
related to the educational achievement of students. Data
suggest that the more television that White students view,
the lower their science achievement; this finding was not
true for Black and Hispanic students. Problems with the use
of some of the background questions are identified. It is
concluded that the percentage correct metric is not
sensitive enough to compare the relationship of several
variables to performance on the science assessment. Eight
figures illustrate the discussion. (SLD)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Educational-Attainment;
Family-Involvement; High-School-Students;
Junior-High-School-Students; Parent Background;
Predictor-Variables; Reading-Habits; Science
Tests; Secondary-Education; Television-Viewing;
Test-Results
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Academic-Achievement;
*Family-Environment; *Grade-7; *Grade-11; *National-Surveys
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