A new special report in Education Week profiles IDS Affiliate Christy Starr‘s research looking at how parents who didn’t attend college themselves can better support their children’s motivation for STEM coursework.
Starr, an assistant professor in the UW-Madison Department of Educational Psychology, studies how parental support can impact students’ motivation in STEM. The challenge is multifaceted. In part, Starr acknowledges that the difficulty of STEM coursework can make make motivation an issue for students of any background. However, parental resources, time, and ability to help with homework also come into play.
Starr says her research shows that there are benefits to schools and educators connecting with parents as way to help students succeed in STEM. Parents don’t have to be able directly help or provide resources to make a difference. Parental encouragement has been shown to make a difference in helping students stay motivated with their coursework. Starr says that teachers can send home pamphlets or reach out to parents directly to give them ideas about how to help their students succeed.