Influence of parents’ views about science on parent–child science talk at home

Figures & data

Table 1. Participants’ demographic.

Family	Child’s age	Parent	Parent’s education	Home location
Bud	4.5	Father	B.Ed. in Science Education	Jakarta (urban)
Dit	4	Mother	B.A. in Communication	Jakarta (urban)
Far	9	Mother	High School	Lombok (rural)
Jun	5.5	Father	M.Ed. in Math Education	Lombok (rural)
Sep	5	Mother	B.Ed. in Science Education	Jakarta (urban)
Rom	5.5	Father	Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction	Lombok (rural)

Figure 1. Composition of Indonesian parent-child utterances in their science talk.

Table 2. Parent strategies to support children’s understanding of science concepts.

Parent strategies	Occurrence frequency*	Examples
Explanation	45 (total)
Request for child’s explanation	16	‘How come the cylinder is so strong while the triangle and the box are not? Why?’
Provide causal explanation	9	‘So why do those buildings use round shapes like this? So that it can hold … (the load)’
Use scientific or academic concepts in explanation	17	‘The triangle has … This is called a vertex. (Cylinder) because it doesn't have any vertices, so every part of it holds the load of your books, right? So it’s strong.’
Respond to child’s request for explanations	3	C: Why is it not crumpled? P: Why is it not crumpled, right?
Making connection	51 (total)
Build on child’s prior knowledge to provide new concepts	7	‘This part here is a triangle, right? And because there is a space, then it becomes a triangular prism.’ ‘This is a cylinder. It’s like a circle but tall. Like our wheat jar.’
Connect current topic to personal and real-world object/event	37	‘If you want to make houses or buildings in the future, replace the rectangular prism with a cylinder. Like this, right? (point to their house’s pillar). Rectangular prism. Who knows you’ll be an engineer? Making the world’s tallest skyscrapers.’
Encourage the child to make connections with personal object	10	‘This shape, where do you usually find it?’ ‘Have you ever seen any houses or mosques that use cylinder pillars?’
Corrective feedback	35 (total)	P: What is this one? C: Round. P: This one is called a cylinder. Does it have any vertices? C: Yes, it does. P: It doesn't. Therefore, it is strong.

Note. P = Parent. C = Child. *Observed across families.

Table 3. Parents’ support to engage children in the informal science learning activity.

Parent’s support	Description	Examples
Modeling	Show how to do something for the child to follow	‘We put (the book) slowly, OK? Me first. Then you can copy me. Put it very slowly, smoothly. And in the middle.’
Demonstration	Demonstrate activities for the child to watch	Parent puts the books on the pillars and weighs the book on a scale.
Instruction	Give instruction for the child to do the activity	‘I have outlined the papers. Can you shape them into a triangle, a square, and a circle?’, ‘Put the books on top. One for each’
Evidence talks	Narrate what happens as the activity goes on	‘It collapsed. It means the triangle is not strong for three books.’
Assistances	Provide assistance to the child without being asked	Parent makes lines and folds the paper for the child to build the paper pillars.
Adjustments	Adjust the activity to the child’s capability	Parent uses and accepts 2D shapes terms for the 3D pillar shapes (Ex: use ‘circle’ instead of ‘cylinder’).
Expressive excitement	Show excitement for the child throughout the activity	‘Wow!’, ‘Cool!’, ‘What a remarkable cylinder!’, parent clap loudly and frequently.

Table 4. Parent talk to engage children in doing scientific practices in Bud’s family.

Science practices	Parent’s talk	Science talk analysis
Doing observations	Let’s observe them first. This one, how the paper looks like? Ok, … How about this one?	Naming a practice: ‘observe’ Observing and comparing objects’ physicalproperties
Making predictions	If we put books on top of them Which one do you think is the strongest? Ok, why do you choose this one?	Stating the condition/problem Asking C to make a prediction Asking for reasoning/theory behind theprediction
Testing predictions	Try put one book first One book for each When we put one book, all stands still Now, how about two books?	Guiding on how to conduct the testing orexperiment Talking about the result Encouraging further testing
Analyzing results	For this one, how many books before it fell? How about this one? Let’s count this one	Guiding the result analysis by comparing theresults Using mathematics
Drawing conclusions	So, which one is the strongest? Really? Which one is the strongest and can holdhow many books?	Asking C to make a conclusion Requesting C to use evidence as a part of theconclusion

Note. P = Parent. C = Child.

Table 5. Analysis of Bud’s parent talk highlighting proving predictions in the science activity.

Line(P/C)	Utterance	Movement	Language function	Science talk	Analysis
17(P)	So, in our experiment, we want to prove	Look at the C	State the activity’s objective	Inform the experiment’s purpose	P asserts the experiment proves something
18(P)	If we put books on top of them	Lift a book above a pillar	Reveal next steps	Present the condition
19(P)	Which one do you think is the strongest?	Glance to the C	Ask a close-ended question	Encourage to make prediction	P engages C in the science practice of making predictions or hypothesis
22(C)	I think this one	Stand up, touch the cylinder	Respond to the question	Make a prediction
25(P)	OK, why do you choose this one?	Touch the cylinder	Follow-up by an open-ended question	Encourage for reasoning	P attempts to engage C in developing reasoning but do not push C further when C only gives an affective reasoning
27(C)	Because I like this one	Tap the pillar		Non-scientific reasoning for a prediction
28(P)	So, you like that one?	Point to the same pillar	Confirm child’s choice	Accept child’s non-scientific reasoning
30(P)	We will prove it then	Nod		Highlight the experiment will prove a prediction	P restates the activity’s objective; Experiment will reveal C’s prediction

Note. P = Parent, C = Children.