Figure 1
Distance distribution of Newfoundland schools from the nearest Let’s Talk Science (LTS) site. The distribution of schools located varying distances from an LTS site (in Corner Brook or St. John’s) participating in the Newfoundland Squirrel Project (main figure) is similar to the distance distribution of all schools in the Newfoundland section of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (inset). Dashed lines indicate the cut-off between rural and non-rural schools (where rural is defined as being >35 km from a city centre), and there is no difference in the proportion of total schools classified as rural between the participating and total groups (p = 0.599).
Table 1
Comparison of changes in the mean values of each measurement instrument between the science and mathematics measures.
| Variable | Change in science | Change in mathematics | t | P | Cohen’s d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M (SD) | M (SD) | ||||
| Need satisfaction | 0.04 (0.44) | –0.13 (0.60) | 2.22 | 0.030 | 0.27 |
| Future intentions | 0.11 (0.83) | 0.08 (0.67) | 0.23 | 0.817 | 0.03 |
| Enjoyment | –0.05 (0.75) | 0.00 (0.87) | –0.33 | 0.742 | –0.04 |
[i] Note: Positive values indicate greater satisfaction, intentions and enjoyment at time 2.
Table 2
Comparison of changes in participants’ perceptions of three psychological needs between science and mathematics measures.
| Variable | Change in science | Change in mathematics | t | P | Cohen’s d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M (SD) | M (SD) | ||||
| Relatedness | 0.07 (0.74) | –0.01 (0.96) | 0.53 | 0.601 | 0.06 |
| Competence | 0.16 (0.76) | –0.16 (0.86) | 2.52 | 0.014 | 0.31 |
| Autonomy | –0.10 (0.74) | –0.21 (0.78) | 1.18 | 0.243 | 0.15 |
[i] Note: Positive values indicate greater satisfaction, intentions and enjoyment at time 2.
Table 3
Comparison of time-1 and time-2 values of the mean scores for each measurement instrument for the science measure.
| Variable | Time 1 | Time 2 | t | P | Cohen’s d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M (SD) | M (SD) | ||||
| Need satisfaction | 3.49 (0.54) | 3.53 (0.44) | 0.82 | 0.417 | 0.10 |
| Future intentions | 2.81 (1.15) | 2.91 (1.19) | 1.04 | 0.300 | 0.13 |
| Enjoyment | 3.73 (1.13) | 3.68 (1.16) | 0.52 | 0.604 | 0.06 |
[i] Note: Positive values indicate greater satisfaction, intentions and enjoyment at time 2.
Table 4
Regression analyses predicting changes in participants’ future intentions to participate in science.
| Predictors | B | T | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science relatedness | 0.07 | 0.58 | 0.565 |
| Science competence | 0.45 | 3.88 | <0.001 |
| Science autonomy | –0.18 | –1.59 | 0.117 |
[i] F(3,61) = 5.37, p = 0.002, R2: 0.21 Standardized predictors were used. Two participants were excluded because of missing data.