Shared academic values: testing a model of the association between Hong Kong parents’ and adolescents’ perception of the general value of science and scientific literacy

Abstract

This study investigated parent general value of science operationalized in the 2006 questionnaire of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), as a determinant of adolescents’ scientific literacy performance. The transmission of academic values literature is small. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies to date have examined the transmission of valuing of science. Study data were drawn from PISA 2006, which focused on science. The study sample comprised 4645 15-year-old adolescents in Hong Kong. Results from the conceptual structural model indicated that parental academic values (general value of science): (a) positively and directly affected adolescents’ valuing of science and in turn further influenced adolescents’ science performance, (b) positively and directly affected adolescents’ science performance, and (c) stimulated adolescents’ motivation to study science and in turn further influenced their science performance. Implications for school-level policy and practice include: (a) promoting parental valuing of science via parent involvement and (b) producing culturally and contextually grounded evidence on strategies for enhancing the transmission of academic values using research methodologies such as action research.

Keywords:

• general value of science
• PISA
• scientific literacy
• academic values
• adolescents

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant for junior researchers from the National Taiwan Normal University. Opinions reflect those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the granting agencies. The research was supported by grant 100-2420-H-003-018- from Taiwan National Science Council.