How can Science Capital be used to engage students during Covid restrictions?

By Robyn Emms

‘What counts as science?’ ‘Whose science counts?’ 

These two questions, in Harding’s 1991 paper about Science Capital, have stayed in my mind since I read them as part of my teacher training. What leads students to consider themselves as a ‘science person’, and how can we use opportunities to engage students in Science, particularly during these times of restrictions and online learning?

Students’ interest in studying science has been likened to a ‘leaky pipeline’ (Taj, 2006) - primary students tend to express an excitement about studying science, so why is it that some students lose this interest as they grow older? How can we get students interested in science and motivated to continue their studies?

This post will discuss the research relating to science capital and what is being done within the Science department to raise the capital of our students, both in lessons and through extracurricular activities during covid restrictions and lockdown to help them engage with the subject and feel empowered that they are still able to ‘do science’.

One way this can be addressed is by working to improve students’ Science capital. The idea of capital is not unique to science - you may have heard the term ‘cultural capital’ used when discussing what students are exposed to outside of school. Science capital is similar, and is  composed of several parts. Louise Archer simplifies this into the metaphor of a hold-all bag, containing four parts: what students know, how they think, what they do and who they know. The culmination of these influences whether students would consider themselves a ‘science person’, and how likely they are to engage with the subject. 

Research shows that students from less economically advantaged families often have very low science capital when compared to wealthier peers (Archer et al, 2002). There are many factors that influence this - for example, the student may not have financial access to resources, such as trips to museums, science books or materials to try out home science experiments. 

It is important to recognise that parents and carers with lower economic capital may still promote the importance of science, or have the time to develop their child’s interest in science, by using what is available to them, such as television, free or low cost activities and discussing science at home (Archer et al 2012). 

We have aimed to capitalise on this to increase the ‘what students do’ part of the Science capital hold-all through the creation of a STEM Enrichment website, which has been promoted to students in all years to encourage them to engage in science outside of lessons. This has been increasingly important during lockdown to maintain student interest in science, when they do not have access to regular extracurricular activities. There are a variety of activities and opportunities on the website, divided into each key stage.

For Key Stage 3, students are encouraged to complete simple science experiments at home, such as constructing a seed propagator, designing a bionic hand using cardboard or modelling an oil spill and cleaning it up. All the experiments involve common household items, allowing students to complete practical activities at home. There are also videos posted that extend from the topics being studied in lessons, asking questions such as ‘Is fire solid, liquid or gas?’

GCSE students have links to ‘Meet the Researcher’ webinars, where students hear from and can ask questions to researchers in a wide range of fields. Students who attend this will get thinking about how their subject choices in the future could lead them into these exciting STEM areas. Other opportunities include a panel discussion about the response to Covid 19, or building a marble run for an engineering competition. Students have access to sign up for longer programmes, like summer schools or a technicians programme run by the Science Museum. There are so many opportunities for students to access, no matter what part of STEM they are considering for their future, or whether they just want to participate in some new activities. 

KS5 students can enhance their IB studies by taking part in webinars and workshops specifically designed for sixth form students on a wide range of subjects - from air quality monitoring to medicinal sciences. Longer programmes are promoted here too, for example a 2 year STEM Future Leaders programme, providing networking opportunities and work experience placements for successful applicants. If students just want to take five minutes to engage in some STEM activities, there are also short videos, to get students thinking outside of the taught content.

Covid has significantly limited the amount of practical work we are able to complete in school, and the lockdown has made delivering practical science incredibly challenging. However, we have been able to find ways to get students involved from home, particularly in KS3. Year 7 students have been learning about sound, and had the opportunity to investigate sounds at home using an online oscilloscope to measure and compare the sound waves as they made different noises. Students enjoyed this activity as they were able to complete an investigation for themselves at home, just using their chromebook and their voice.

We have made use of many online simulations to allow students to investigate ideas such as circuits, colour filters and gas pressure. Using these, students can test their ideas and work out concepts for themselves, despite not being able to physically complete the normal experiments. This has been particularly useful for Year 8 students studying electricity without access to circuit sets. These students have been able to build circuits online and use these in student-led investigations.

In the short time we have left online, we have more home experiments planned, using only the items that students will have at home. To investigate refraction, students will be encouraged to fill a glass with water and look through it at a penny or some writing on paper and will use their observations to explain this concept.

Another important dimension of science capital is who the student knows in a science related career (Godec, King, Archer 2017) - many of our students do not have this ‘who they know’ dimension in their science capital ‘hold-all’, so it is important for them to have exposure to ‘real’ scientists. This can also help students access information about careers options, whilst introducing them to potential options for their future. This then can increase science capital and engagement, as students gain motivation to study science.

Year 12 Applied Science students have had two virtual visits this year  from STEM ambassadors in industry - an Environmental Health and Safety officer and a lab manager for Rolls-Royce submarines. These are two career options students may never have previously considered, or even heard of. These guest speakers discussed their roles, background and education and answered the students many questions.

All subjects students study have a form of capital. How can we make all subjects relevant to students’ lives and increase their wider cultural capital? How can we help students see every subject in the world around them? I hope that through the examples given of how the opportunity to increase capital is being used in science, you are able to consider how this could be extended to your area of the curriculum.

How is this relevant to other subjects? All have capital - how are you making your subject relevant to their lives and increasing their wider cultural capital? How can students see your subject in the world around them?

References:

• Harding, S. G. (1991). Whose Science? Whose Knowledge: Thinking from Women’s Lives. Ithica, New York; London, England: Cornell University Press

• Taj, R. H., Qi Liu, C., Maltese A. V., Fan, X. (2006). Planning Early for Careers in Science. Science, 312(5777), 1143-1144

• Godec, S., King, H., Archer, L. (2017). The Science Capital Teaching Approach: Engaging Students with Science, Promoting Social Justice. London: University College London

For more information on the Science Capital holdall, see

https://www.ase.org.uk/system/files/5-7_13_0.pdf