Children’s early exposure and participation with science activities may help reduce underrepresentation issues that are often seen later in some disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors and occupations. To help understand these trends, this study investigated the repertoire of parental support during hands-on science activities with their children with regards to ethnicity (Latiné families of predominantly Mexican origin and non-Latiné, primarily White, families) and gender. It was informed by work that examines gender, race, and ethnicity differences in STEM participation. Participants were 153 girls and boys, aged 8 to 12 years, and their mothers and fathers in the Southwestern United States. Each parent–child dyad’s behaviors during hands-on science activities together were examined. After controlling for family annual income and parental level of education, there were several variations by ethnicity and gender in parents’ support of their children (e.g., help and encouragement), children’s exploration of the activities, children’s talkativeness, and the amount of time they engaged in the activities. Suggestions for expanding STEM education programs to be more inclusive of underrepresented communities are discussed.

This study examined how incorporating art into an upper-level undergraduate field-based ecology research course influenced students’ communication and collaboration skills, their career goals, and how they conceptualized the scientific method. Student pairs designed an independent research study that used artwork and a scientific research poster to disseminate their findings at an end-of-term exhibit. Students enrolled in either a local or a (subsidized) travel abroad section of the course. Students in both sections found new or deeper connections between art and science, developed a more sophisticated understanding of the science method, became more confident with their science skills, and reported an expanded perspective on their future careers (often including field work and a wider geographic job search). Science–art student teams indicated they wanted more opportunities for collaborative work in the future, and that their final products were more professional due to their collaborations, as compared to science–science teams. Additionally, the travel abroad students benefitted from experiencing new ecosystems and cultures, from working with science and art professionals from other countries, and from working in an isolated field station without distractions.

The goal of this study was to examine problem-solving processes of elementary-aged children (4th grade U.S., ages 9–10) and their parents as they applied themselves to hands-on science activities together, with the larger goal of studying how parents influence the development of children’s science inquiry skills. In this diverse group of families, which was approximately equally balanced in terms of ethnicity (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) and parent and child gender, the influence of parent language, dyad ethnicity, and dyad gender was examined while controlling for family socio-economic status. Four problem-solving processes were examined: writing a hypothesis, recording results, drawing/sketching the process, and writing an explanation of how or why a process worked. The study included 153 families in a metropolitan area in the southwestern U.S. (Phoenix, AZ), approximately balanced in terms of child and parent ethnicity and gender. Gender differences were not observed for any of the problem-solving processes. Differences in some problem-solving processes, especially for writing a hypothesis, were observed based on parent language and dyad ethnicity. Families employed the strategy of drawing/sketching out solutions with a similar level of detail, regardless of parent education, language, ethnicity, and gender. Thus, we propose the use of drawing/sketching in the elementary science classroom as a useful strategy for reaching a diverse audience of learners. Family socio-economic status (as measured by parent education and family income) was strongly associated with parent language and dyad ethnicity. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Women and Hispanic people in the United States (U.S.) are underrepresented in many physical science and engineering fields, despite higher representation in life science fields. This study examines how science topic (physical vs. life science) influences the role that parents play in the development of their elementary school-age (fourth grade) children’s science-related interests, attitudes, and problem-solving strategies, including differences related to parent and child ethnicity (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) and gender. The participants were 153 girls and boys in fourth grade and their parents in the Phoenix metropolitan area of the United States. Each parent–child dyad’s behaviors as they completed hands-on physical science and life science activities together were examined. Parents and children were more talkative during physical science activities than during life science activities (for parents M = 13.70, SD = 54.99, p = 0.004, and for children M = 20.88, SD = 34.93, p < 0.001), where M = the difference between the number of utterances during physical versus life science problems. In addition, parents provided more explanations/answers, asked more questions to prompt their children, and asked more questions about their child’s understanding during physical science activities as compared to life science activities. Regarding problem-solving strategies, the dyads used their existing knowledge/experience more during physical science activities, whereas they used assumptions more during life science activities. Interactions that occurred between topic and ethnicity or gender, and implications for representation of women and Hispanic students in physical versus life science majors in later years, are also presented.