Family and School Environmental Correlates of Integrated Science Achievement

This study was an investigation of the family and school environmental correlates of the Integrated Science achievement of 480 students. A 50-item Integrated Science Achievement test and the School Environment scales were administered to the students whereas the Family Environment scales were completed by their parents. A stepwise multiple regression procedure was used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the nine measures of the family and school environments, when combined into a predictor set, effectively predicted the students' achievement. When taken separately, only three measures (parents expectations for the child, expectations for themselves, and the social status of the family) could not contribute significantly to the prediction. These observations provide support for the use of sociopsychological measures of the family and school to study cognitive outcomes instead of the traditional use of gross indicators of both learning environments.