Investigating Family Science Habitus and Science Capital to Support the Language of Possibility Around Science

家庭是孩子的第一位老师，对孩子对科学的兴趣、参与和愿望有着重大影响。家庭态度，关于科学的对话，对孩子的期望，以及家庭科学/STEM职业榜样可能会产生影响，特别是对于那些认同科学代表性不足的人群的人。然而，来自这些人口的家庭在科学方面为IEA提供的支持往往被认为是不足或有缺陷的。这可能无法准确反映家庭互动的情况，也没有考虑到这些家庭可以利用的被忽视或低估的资产来支持IEA的科学。因此，必须扩大家庭科学支持的概念，以便美国更广泛的部分可以看到体验科学的乐趣和奇迹。拓宽什么样的行动和行为被认为是“值得”支持家庭科学的透镜，可能会鼓励那些通常感到被排除在科学之外的人看到，他们已经拥有的东西（技能，知识，性格），以及他们是谁，不仅在科学中受到重视，而且需要作为一个社会向前发展，以推进科学发现，培养科学素养，该项目的主要目标是为家庭开发一种有效的工具，以捕捉和测量更广泛和更具包容性的家庭科学习惯概念。（“我们做什么”和“我们是谁”作为一个家庭在科学方面成为孩子的“语言的可能性”）和科学资本（一个人可能拥有的科学相关资源）。目前还没有有效的工具来询问家庭本身的家庭科学习惯和科学资本;创建这一工具的目的是努力使家庭的声音得到倾听和重视。该项目的第二个目标是使PI建立定量研究能力，更多地了解科学中代表性不足的人口家庭，并与当地社区和专家建立联系，以便将来进行研究。这个项目和指导经验的目的是定位PI进行所需的研究，确定可以建立在提供更多的机会和支持的家庭的优势和资产。该项目的成果有可能改变利益相关者对家庭和科学的看法，以及如何真正将家庭作为科学教育的合作伙伴。（ECR：BCSER）程序，该计划旨在培养调查人员的能力，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Families are children’s first teachers and significantly influence children’s interest, engagement, and aspirations (IEA) in science. Family attitudes, conversations about science, expectations for their children, and family science/STEM career role models can be influential, particularly for people who identify with populations that are underrepresented in science. However, what families from these populations provide in terms of support for IEA in science is often framed as inadequate or deficient. This may not present an accurate picture of family interactions, nor does it consider overlooked or undervalued assets available to these families that can be leveraged to support IEA in science. Consequently, it becomes imperative to expand notions of what family science supports look like so that a wider segment of the U.S. may see experiencing the joy and wonder of science as possible for them. Broadening the lens of what actions and behaviors are recognized as what ‘counts’ as supporting science in the home may encourage those who typically feel excluded from science to see that what they already possess (skills, knowledge, dispositions), and who they are, is not only valued in science but needed to move forward as a society to advance scientific discoveries, foster science literacy, and promote careers in scientific fields.The main goal of this project is to develop a validated instrument for families that captures and measures broader and more inclusive notions of family science habitus (tacit ideas of “what we do” and “who we are” as a family in terms of science that becomes a child’s ‘language of possibility’ in science) and science capital (science-related resources that a person might have). There is currently no validated instrument that asks families themselves about their family science habitus and science capital; the creation of this instrument endeavors to enable familial voices to be heard and valued. A secondary goal of this project is for the PI to build capacity in quantitative research, learn more about families from underrepresented populations in science, and forge connections for future research with local communities and experts. This project and mentoring experience aim to position the PI to conduct needed research that pinpoints strengths and assets in families that can be built upon to provide more opportunities and supports. The outcomes of this project hold potential to change what stakeholders believe about families and science as well as how to truly engage with families as partners in science education.The project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators’ capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.