Developing Science Capital with your child

Science is an endlessly fascinating discipline with the potential to inspire and engage children right across the school. However, whilst loud bangs, bright flashes, and the occasional bloody dissection might entertain, this is unlikely to lead to a long-term interest in Science.

Indeed, research has shown that there is a strong link between the amount of science capital held by a child and their ability to engage with the subject. In short, the concept of science capital is a way of encapsulating all the science-related knowledge, attitudes, experiences and social contacts that an individual may have (Godec et al., 2018); it encompasses eight distinct dimensions:

1. Scientific literacy
2. Science-related attitudes, values and dispositions
3. Knowledge about the transferability of science 
4. Science media consumption
5. Participation in out-of-school science learning contexts
6. Family science skills, knowledge and qualifications
7. Knowing people in science-related roles
8. Talking about science in everyday life

Ultimately, the amount of science capital held by a child is built-up across their lifetime by everyone involved in that child’s life, both in school and at home. Here are a few things which we are doing at school, and some things which you can do at home, to help develop your child’s science capital.

What are we doing at school to develop science capital in the children?

• - Making science relevant to your child: through using examples and contexts which are personal and relevant to the children, we can increase engagement and interest. This is done by engaging with the children and finding out about their interests and aspirations to allow the lessons to be tailored to them.
• - Inviting speakers from a wide range of scientific disciplines to speak to the children: we regularly invite scientists to speak to the children about their career. Most recently, Dr Clarke spoke to the children about her work as a paediatric surgeon, and Kate Korslund spoke to the children about her work as an engineer in the aerospace industry.
• - Providing opportunities for the children to see the applications of their learning: each year, both the pre-prep and the upper school hold a STEM day to challenge the children to solve a real-world problem; this year, the children were designing houses which could withstand flooding.

What can you as parents do to help?

• - Challenge stereotypes: too often, I hear parents saying, “I am not a science-y person” or, “I wasn’t good at science when I was at school.” Portraying a positive view of science as something which is for everyone will do wonders for your child’s perception of science.
• - Develop a culture of finding out the answers to your child’s questions about the world together: it’s ok not to know the answer to everything that your child asks you, but taking the time to do some research to find out the answer will encourage your child to begin looking more closely at the world around them; it will also normalise discussions about science for you child.
• - Engage with science in the media and in the community: we are very lucky to have so many wonderful museums and events in Edinburgh. Take the opportunity to visit Dynamic Earth, the Surgeon’s Hall Museum, or the Edinburgh Science Festival, which takes place each April, with your child and then keep the conversation going at home by discussing some of the latest science news. If you need inspiration, you can access child friendly articles here.

In an increasingly technological world, skills and qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) will continue to be highly sought-after, so please help to give your child the best opportunity to develop these by helping them to increase their science capital.

GODEC, S., KING, H., ARCHER, L., DAWSON, E. & SEAKINS, A. 2018. Examining Student Engagement with Science Through a Bourdieusian Notion of Field. Science & Education, 27, 501-521.