The Role of Instruction in Latino Families’ Engineering Conversations during a Museum Visit

• In Event: 1-133 - A Window into Diverse Learning: Exploring Cultural Variation in Parent-Child Discussions about Science

Integrative Statement

Research rooted in sociocultural theory suggests that parent-child conversations play a critical role in children's early informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education (Callanan et al., 2012; Haden, 2010). In particular, studies of diverse parents with high-levels of schooling experience show that priming families with exhibit-relevant STEM information can positively impact their conversations in exhibits, as well as what children remember about these experiences afterwards (Benjamin et al., 2010; Haden et al., 2014). Research also confirms that the conversations Latino parents have with their children in museums varies by parental schooling experience (e.g., Tenenbaum & Callanan, 2008). However, more research is needed to address whether and how practices in informal educational settings advance STEM learning opportunities for children whose parents have basic levels (12 or fewer years) of formal schooling.

A sample of 24 Latino children (15 girls, Mage = 7.8 years) and their parents (45.5% with basic schooling) were observed in a tinkering exhibit designed for open-ended problem-solving. Prior to entering the exhibit where the design challenge was to make something that rolls, 13 of the families received instructions about wheels and axles, whereas the other 11 did not. We asked if there were differences in the ways families engaged in conversations in the exhibit as a function of whether or not they received the engineering instructions. We also examined how the instructions, and the conversations they engendered, linked to children’s reports about their learning. The children's reports were elicited by a researcher as they were leaving the tinkering exhibit.

Somewhat surprisingly, it was the families who did not receive the engineering instructions, compared to those who did, who talked more about engineering while tinkering in the exhibit, t = 2.74, p < .05 (see Figure 1). Parents who engaged in the most engineering-related talk during the activity (e.g., “Let’s find other wheels that will help it roll better.”) had children who provided the most engineering information in their reports, r = .74, p < .01, (e.g., “The first time it wasn’t working… when I changed some wheels it was rolling.”). There were no differences in the reports of children in families who did and did not receive the engineering instructions. Based on prior work (e.g., Benjamin et al., 2010) we hypothesize that these differences may be more apparent in the follow-up assessments that are being conducted now.

These and other findings will be discussed as they illustrate the importance of research that can serve practice in informal educational environments. The work extends important theoretical and empirical findings about how parent-child conversations can support children's early STEM educational opportunities. It is also providing an empirical basis for practices that can advance informal STEM learning opportunities for children and families from diverse backgrounds.

Authors

• Diana I Acosta, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Graciela Solis, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Catherine Haden, Loyola University
  Non-Presenting Author