Science knowledge acquired within and outside the school

Technical problem solving among 10-year-old students as related to science achievement, out-of-school experience, domain-specific control beliefs, and attribution patterns

“…Zuzovsky et al (1990) found that the difference between male and female science achievement was much greater for science content not taught in school than for material that was covered. They conjectured that the relatively large lead that boys have over girls in knowledge acquired out of school may be due to the relatively "richer experiential world of boys" and to the fact that they have more science learning opportunities.…”

“…In a study comparing science knowledge origins, Zuzovsky et al (1990) found that the amount and scope of scientific knowledge acquired outside of school were considerable. They hypothesized that children's experiences in everyday life, particularly interactions with materials and objects, challenge them to develop a personal conceptual framework which is helpful, at least for science learning in elementary school.…”

“…However, the contribution of school variables relative to home variables grows when the measured science achievement is related to the school curriculum (Zuzovsky & Tamir, 1989). Zuzovsky et al (1990) were able to show that a lack of learning experience in everyday life could at least be compensated for in part by the school.…”

“…Based on an Israeli sample, Zuzovsky, Chen, and Tamir (1990) were able to show that a certain kind of science knowledge, which internationally belongs to the core of the elementary school's curriculum, was acquired by a substantial number of students even when the corresponding material was not taught in school. They concluded that everyday experiences and science learning in school are at least to a certain degree interchangeable.…”