Grade Level, Gender, and School-Related Curiosity in Urban Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of grade level and gender on student curiosity in urban elementary schools. Three basic questions were addressed: (a) Does student curiosity decrease as grade level increases? (b) Are gender differences present in curiosity? (c) Are these effects evident across educational settings with different student populations? A scale designed to measure school-related curiosity (SRC scale) was created and administered to elementary school students in Grades 3, 5, and 7 in one Catholic school (n = 148) and two public schools (n = 150). Two-way ANOVAs (Grade Level x Gender) were conducted separately in the Catholic school and public school samples in order to examine the generalizability of the grade level and gender effects across educational settings. There was a decrease in student curiosity as a function of grade level in both Catholic school and public school students. No significant gender differences were found in either group. Suggestions for further research and the educational implications of the findings are discussed.