Comparing the Influence of Parents and Siblings on Latino High School Students' Science Motivation

Authors: Sandra D. Simpkins, Yangyang Liu, Gabriel Estrella
Presented at 2017 AERA

​Abstract: Despite being one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the student population, Latino adolescents continue to underachieve in science relative to their non-minority peers and remain overwhelmingly underrepresented in STEM-based careers. According to expectancy-value motivation theory, families play a critical role in shaping youth’s academic motivation, achievement, and subsequent career trajectories. Parent and sibling involvement might be particularly crucial for Latino students given the centrality of family in Latino culture. However, do parents and siblings differentially impact the science motivation of Latino students in high school? To address this question, the current study employed multiple regression analyses to examine the unique and combined influence of Latino parents’ and siblings’ science beliefs and supportive behaviors on adolescents’ science motivation.