| Abstract: | Extracurricular science-related experiences of young students were examined. The sample consisted of 539 elementary school students between the ages of 9 and 13. Students completed the Science Experiences Survey (SES) to identify the number of common scientific materials and activities they experienced outside of the classroom. The factor analysis isolated three underlying factors of extracurricular science-related experiences: life science-related experiences, physical science-related experiences, and general learning attributes related to science. Further analysis identified differences in reported experiences by gender. The data indicate that young girls tend to participate in nurturing life science-related activities, and young boys favor hands-on, action-oriented physical science-related experiences. The research suggests that the gender disparity in science follows a continuuum that begins with the experiences of elementary school students. |
