Family contexts and achievement in the science classroom - study of specific characteristics of primary socializing processes

Abstract

The relationship between students social class and their school success has been frequently studied. Recent studies in science education (e. g., Morais et al., 1993) have shown that the relation is particularly evident in complex competences. These studies have also shown that, within the working class, there is also differential achievement, suggesting that such difference is associated with differences in the primary socialization of children. The present study, which continues former studies, was developed in a town in the North of Portugal with working class students of the 6th year of schooling. From a sample of 85 students used in a broader study, eight students and respective parents were selected. The results give a contribution to the understanding of the general low achievement of the lower social classes and especially to the differences found within them. These results show that the primary socializing processes vary within the working class according to the pedagogic code of the family and suggest that these variations are associated with school success. Children from families whose parents have an elaborated orientation, where the official pedagogic discourse is embedded in the local pedagogic discourse and where the official pedagogic space is strongly classified from the local pedagogic space, have better achievement at school. Some control of the children on the rules which regulate learning in the primary socializing process seems to be also favourable to school success.