Early enrichment pays off: Children who have been exposed to science-related topics before starting school learn significantly more in this area by the third grade. The level of knowledge a child has upon starting school is a key factor in their continued development of scientific knowledge. By comparison, the parents’ educational level, their social and economic status, the child’s gender, and the number of books at home are less important.
The findings from NEPS Spotlight No. 13 zur on the early development of science competencies are taken from the following publication:
Kähler, J., Hahn I., Köller, O. (2023). Naturwissenschaftliche Kompetenz in der Grundschule: Effekte von Familienmerkmalen und Klassenkomposition. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 37(4), 280–294. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/pdf/10.1024/1010-0652/a000308
What are the NEPS spotlights?
This and other NEPS spotlights present selected findings from the National EducationPanel, Germany’s largest long-term education study, in a concise and accessible format. They explore topics such as the development of competencies over the life course, as well as aspects of personality, educational participation, integration, and civic engagement. Each Spotlight includes a key message, a brief explanation, and interactive graphics that visualize the respective findings. Sources and further information are also linked. The NEPS Highlights are provided by the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi); the research findings themselves come from researchers at LIfBi and other users of the NEPS data worldwide and have been edited by LIfBi..
What is the National Education Panel?
The National Education Panel (NEPS) is the largest long-term education study in Germany. It examines educational processes, their conditions, outcomes, and consequences from early childhood through late adulthood. More than 70,000 participants, as well as approximately 50,000 people from their social circles, are surveyed on a recurring basis. The data collected is made available to the scientific community. More than 4,000 researchers worldwide are already working with NEPS data, and more than 1,900 scientific publications have been produced to date.