Empowering Parents and Caregivers, Empowers Students

Parent participation in children's science education is well-documented to yield positive outcomes. Research confirms that when parents actively explore concepts and the learning process, their children achieve greater success. This parent engagement leads to better academic performance, increased motivation to learn science, and the development of students' critical thinking skills. The more intensely parents can be involved, the more benefits are seen across skills, confidence, and science understanding measures.

However, parents and teachers often face obstacles that interrupt effective science learning partnerships, particularly for families from diverse and multilingual or immigrant backgrounds. Teachers have limited bandwidth for guiding investigations outside school walls. Parents may not feel confident with their own scientific background knowledge or have past negative perceptions about the subject. And the gap between family culture and classroom context poses additional barriers.

OpenSciEd’s science curriculum for middle school and high school students aims to bridge this gap through accessible and inclusive resources that empower families to actively participate in their students' science education at home. This post will explore OpenSciEd's unique approach to facilitating parent/teacher partnerships and provide helpful resources for family and parent engagement. 

The Value of Parent Engagement in Science Education

The benefits of parents actively participating in their children's science education are multifaceted and significant. Studies have consistently shown that students display better academic achievement, motivation to learn about scientific concepts, and development of critical thinking skills when their families engage in the learning process.

Specifically, research by The University of British Columbia (Parental Engagement in Children's STEM Education) has found that students achieve higher grades in science courses when parents collaborate on investigating questions, discussing media and current science-related events, and facilitating hands-on learning activities at home. The experience of exploring phenomena collaboratively strengthens communication and relationships that provide lasting impacts on student outcomes.

Additionally, students demonstrate increased interest in science and self-perception when parents display enthusiasm and value for understanding the world around them. Facilitating regular family science experiments, asking open-ended questions about observable events, and role-modeling an inquisitive mindset are key parent actions that stimulate stronger intrinsic motivation in students.

Finally, when parents bridge the gap between formal classroom and informal home learning, children's higher-order thinking abilities flourish. Science exploration builds critical analysis, evidence evaluation, and problem-solving skills that transfer across academic subjects.

OpenSciEd: Bridging Classroom Learning and Home Engagement

Beyond excelling as an NGSS-aligned science curriculum, OpenSciEd serves a holistic purpose - bringing parents on board as partners in education. This theme of inclusive family involvement sits at the core of the program's mission to democratize access to quality STEM opportunities.

Because research shows active parent participation propels student motivation to explore, comprehend, and apply scientific concepts, OpenSciEd bakes multiple avenues facilitating at-home learning into its educational DNA. Customizable Home Letters outline unit objectives for families, while translated curricula tear down potential language barriers. Public lesson material samples also provide tips to guide families new to inquiry methods.

These layers of transparency allow parents to meaningfully supplement classroom work tailored to their capability, time, and cultural preferences. When implemented with fidelity, OpenSciEd provides keys to unlocking the advantages of tight school-home alignment. Students thrive when living room discovery mirrors school instruction rather than seeming disconnected.

Additionally, by engaging parents in hands-on science activities, OpenSciEd strengthens family bonds that facilitate students' social-emotional development. Collaborative exploration builds confidence and communication abilities, which are key to academic and lifelong success.