Demographic Predictors of Students’ Science Participation over the Age of 16: an Australian Case Study

Enhancing Scientific Communication Skills: a Real-World Simulation in a Tertiary-Level Life Science Class Using E-Learning Technology in Biomedical Literature Perception, Reflective Review Writing on a Clinical Issue, and Self and Peer Assessments

“…To our knowledge, the present study is the first time that such a correlation has been shown. While there exist some data on impact of cultural background and parental expectations on primary and secondary education (e.g., Li et al 2017;Cooper et al 2018), little research has been done to date on the influence of cultural background on assessment and evaluation at the tertiary level. According to publications addressing this issue in the context of experience in the educational system of the USA, one would expect that cultural background and parental expectations may have a substantial influence on how academic tasks such as peerreview are done and perceived, as well as how students assess themselves (Zurcher 1998;Skiba et al 2002).…”

“…In a course for nursing students in Spain, selfassessment revealed a pronounced "influence of culture on people's behaviour and how difficult it is to step outside of one's own culture and understand others" and made students reflect "on the beliefs and values of my own culture and of other cultures and (…) analyse(d) their positive and negative aspects", even "changed" students (Siles-González and Solano-Ruiz 2016). In addition to gender differences, also ancestry and background were recently identified to influence participation in science for Australia's students (Cooper et al 2018). As outlined there, migrating students are equipped with "a set of overarching pattern of values, belief systems, lifestyles, opportunities, customs and resources" (Hackling et al 2016), which may shape their perceptions (Cooper et al 2018).…”

“…In addition to gender differences, also ancestry and background were recently identified to influence participation in science for Australia's students (Cooper et al 2018). As outlined there, migrating students are equipped with "a set of overarching pattern of values, belief systems, lifestyles, opportunities, customs and resources" (Hackling et al 2016), which may shape their perceptions (Cooper et al 2018). Interestingly, first-generation and foreign-background students over 16 years of age at Australian schools were significantly more likely to participate in a science project as compared to Australian-background students (Cooper et al 2018); however, more data are required on this issue.…”

“…As outlined there, migrating students are equipped with "a set of overarching pattern of values, belief systems, lifestyles, opportunities, customs and resources" (Hackling et al 2016), which may shape their perceptions (Cooper et al 2018). Interestingly, first-generation and foreign-background students over 16 years of age at Australian schools were significantly more likely to participate in a science project as compared to Australian-background students (Cooper et al 2018); however, more data are required on this issue. As societies become culturally more diverse and student exchange programs are highly promoted, future studies should address the question of cultural diversity and educational assessment procedures also at the tertiary level.…”

Achieving STEM education success against the odds

“…SES also impacts student engagement and participation in STEM. High SES students are more motivated and engaged in science and mathematics (Thomson et al 2013(Thomson et al , 2017a, and more likely to enroll in senior secondary science or advanced mathematics (Cooper et al 2020;McPhan et al 2008;Murphy 2018Murphy , 2019b.…”