04 Mar Children From Marginalized Groups Enter Kindergarten With Science Knowledge Gaps

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Paul L. Morgan

Paul L. Morgan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Education Policy Studies
Director, Educational Risk Initiative
Faculty Affiliate, Child Study Center
Research Associate, Population Research Institute
Faculty Affiliate, Prevention Research Center
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Morgan: The U.S. is at of risk declining economic competitiveness due to its lower levels of educational attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) relative to other countries (see http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12999/rising-above-the-gathering-storm-revisited-rapidly-approaching-category-5). Concurrently, the U.S. has a well-established “leaky STEM pipeline” in which children who are racial or ethnic minorities, females, or from low income families are especially unlikely to grow up to be employed in STEM positions. Large science achievement gaps are disproportionately experienced by these same groups of children. Yet the U.S. is increasingly transitioning to a knowledge economy necessitating higher levels of scientific thinking, problem solving, and technical competency.

The causes of these science achievement gaps have been poorly understood. Most of the existing empirical work on science achievement gaps has used cross-sectional designs. The samples also have largely been of older students attending middle or high schools. As a result, the early onset, over-time dynamics, and risk factors for science achievement gaps have been largely unknown. Our study helps inform policy, research, and practice by establishing that science achievement gaps emerge by the elementary grades and then largely remain stable as children continue throughout middle school. These gaps are mostly explained by children’s knowledge about their general surroundings acquired by the primary grades. Children’s reading and mathematics achievement also help to explain their science achievement, as do income inequality and school racial and income segregation. We find that children from traditionally marginalized groups (e.g., those who are Black, Hispanic, or from low-income families) are especially likely to enter school with general knowledge gaps. These same children often continue to experience science achievement gaps throughout elementary and middle school. However, factors modifiable by parents, educators, and policymakers largely explain these children’s gaps and so might be the target of early and sustained intervention efforts. 

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Morgan: Prior work has reported that children’s general knowledge gaps are themselves explained by how adults interact with children, including efforts to cultivate and respond appropriately to the children’s questions, observations, and reasoning about their general surroundings. Supporting and extending children’s general knowledge, including by asking children questions and having dialogue during storybook reading and mealtimes as well as while traveling, shopping, and other activities may be helpful. Not all parents understand the importance of interaction and dialogue with their children. Doing so helps to stimulate the children’s interest and curiosity, as well as their cognitive and academic development. Promoting efforts by parents to interact with their children in this way, particularly those who may be at risk, should better position children to benefit from the science instruction later provided in their schools. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Morgan: Our study’s data collection began as the children entered kindergarten. Understanding more about why the general knowledge gaps, which are very large by kindergarten entry, begin to occur while children are still toddlers or attending preschools would be very useful. Although a good deal of attention has been given to addressing the early onset of achievement gaps in reading and mathematics, and rightly so, the field knows much less about how to address achievement gaps in general knowledge and science. Experimental evaluations that help identify effective parenting and educational practices, including how best to teach science to at-risk children during the primary grades, have the potential to greatly advance the field’s knowledge base. 

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dr. Morgan: Our findings suggest that there should be a sense of urgency in addressing the early onset of science achievement gaps. Waiting to address these gaps by the middle and high school grades may be too late. By these grade levels, educators may confront attitudinal as well as academic barriers when attempting to remediate at-risk children’s science achievement gaps. Yet it is never too late to help children learn. What the nation needs is a more coordinated response to these gaps, so that we’re assisting parents, preschool teachers, and school professionals in ways that ensure that young children at risk are being provided with access to stimulating home and educational environments. The gaps arise from societal inequities that we too often tolerate. Educational policies that increase access to high-quality preschools and schools should provide children with greater economic and societal opportunities as adults. That’s the right thing to do for our country, from both a moral and economic perspective.

Citation:

Paul L. Morgan, George Farkas, Marianne M. Hillemeier, and Steve Maczuga

Science Achievement Gaps Begin Very Early, Persist, and Are Largely Explained by Modifiable FactorsEducational Researcher 0013189X16633182, first published on February 22, 2016 doi:10.3102/0013189X16633182

Paul L. Morgan, Ph.D. (2016). Children From Marginalized Groups Enter Kindergarten With Science Knowledge Gaps 

Last Updated on March 4, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD