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Starting with Parents: Investigating a Multi-Generational, Media-Enhanced Approach to Support Informal Science Learning for Young Children

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Abstract

Parents have a strong influence on young children’s science learning. Factors such as parental education, interest, and child-directed speech influence how children perceive and engage with science. While the role of informal early learning settings in providing a space for parents and children to engage with science has been documented, the power of joint parent–child engagement in adult-oriented learning programs has been largely unexplored. This article explores a media-enhanced model designed to support family science within adult-oriented programs serving populations with low incomes. Families in these communities possess limited economic resources and social capital for engaging in traditional science settings. The model integrates promising features to improve science engagement for families with low incomes, such as staggered instruction, media modeling, and facilitated instruction. In this study, educators introduced science ideas to parents enrolled in adult education classes using “activity sets” that included animated videos, a digital game, and hands-on activities. Afterwards, parents used the activity sets to explore the same science ideas with their children, either in a facilitated family education setting, or at home on their own. Researchers collected qualitative data through event observations, parent interviews, parent focus groups, and educator interviews. They collected quantitative data through post-event parent surveys. Findings suggest that the model effectively promotes parents’ and children’s engagement with science and has the potential to increase adult comfort and confidence with family science.

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Data Availability

The authors declare that none of the data in this study is re-used in unpublished materials (i.e., journal submissions in press).

Code Availability

Not applicable.

Notes

  1. We use the term “parent” in a way inclusive of all adult learners who participated in the study. Given trends in current research related to parent–child joint engagement with learning materials, the term also refers to adults who serve in other caregiving roles for children (e.g., grandparents, guardians, or stepparents). The authors acknowledge that a percentage of adult participants in this study are not currently parenting or caregiving young children.

  2. Due to program-based differences in implementation, survey response rates varied across locations and sessions. Some programs established participant cutoffs based on room capacity. Others allowed early dismissals. A larger number of participants completed surveys after the adult sessions than after the family sessions. One study site did not offer facilitated family sessions, and survey data from such sessions are non-existent.

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Acknowledgements

The research and development on the described project was created through a partnership between WGBH Educational Foundation and the Center for Children and Technology at EDC. The authors would like to extend special thanks to WGBH’s Principal Investigator Mary Haggerty and Jessica Andrews for their contributions throughout the duration of the research study. The authors would also like to thank partner institutions, including the National Center for Families Learning, Kentucky Educational Television, and Alabama Public Television, in addition to the program sites, educators, data collectors, and families that participated in the research.

Funding

This study was funded by the National Science Foundation’s program Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), award number DRL#1713494. The program supports evidence-based investigations in the design and development of STEM learning opportunities in informal environments with the goal of broadening access and engagement, advancing innovative research, engaging the public in learning STEM in informal environments. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analyses were performed by Alexia Raynal, Heather Lavigne, Marion Goldstein, and Jaime Gutierrez. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Alexia Raynal and Heather Lavigne. All authors commented on draft versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexia Raynal.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This study is exempted from ethical approval by ethics committee at the Education Development Center (EDC) on behalf of EDC and WGBH. Protocol 1670. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Research Involving Human Participants and/or Animals

This study is exempted from ethical approval by ethics committee at the Education Development Center (EDC) on behalf of EDC and WGBH. Protocol 1670.

Informed Consent

This exempt status study was under no obligation to record informed consent by the Education Development Center’s (EDC) ethics committee. However, all research participants received information about their voluntary and anonymous participation, about the project’s economic incentives, and the contact information of EDC’s Human Protections Administrator prior to their engagement in the study. Participants received this information in the language of their choice (English or Spanish).

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Raynal, A., Lavigne, H., Goldstein, M. et al. Starting with Parents: Investigating a Multi-Generational, Media-Enhanced Approach to Support Informal Science Learning for Young Children. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 879–889 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01209-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01209-x

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