Latinx adolescents’ school-related science conversations with family members: Associations with adolescents’ science expectancy-value beliefs in high school

Abstract

Integrating situated expectancy-value and family systems theories, the current study tested the extent to which Latinx adolescents’ 9th-grade school-related science conversations with parents and older siblings/cousins positively predicted their 10th-grade science ability self-concepts and task values. We also tested whether these links were moderated by who primarily initiated the conversations (i.e., adolescents, family members, or both). We used two-wave, multi-reporter survey data from 104 Latinx families, consisting of triads of parents, older siblings/cousins, and adolescents (89% Mexican-descent, 40% female; M_age = 14.53 years). Partially supporting our hypotheses, parent-adolescent school-related science conversations predicted adolescents’ 10th-grade science ability self-concepts. Moreover, the links between parent-adolescent conversations and science ability self-concepts and task values were positive and significant when parents more frequently initiated conversations than adolescents. Similar but weaker associations were found for sibling/cousin-adolescent school-related science conversations. These findings underscore the motivational benefits of family members initiating school-related science conversations with Latinx adolescents.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the principals, teachers, students, and parents of the cooperating school districts for their participation in this project, as well as Arizona State University students who helped make this project possible.

Data availability statement

Data available upon reasonable request from the authors.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grants [DRL-1054798 and DRL-1560889] to Sandra Simpkins, [DRL-1760757] to Sandra Simpkins and Jacquelynne Eccles, and [SBP-2004278] to Nestor Tulagan and Sandra Simpkins.