نبذة مختصرة : Promoting science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM) skills for young children provides foundation for and interest in later STEM learning, making early childhood an important time to develop these competencies. Young children also spend increasing amounts of time with media, and thus it is important to understand if children are accessing STEM content and what factors may determine this access. The current survey study of parents of three- to seven-year olds assesses how parents’ science self-efficacy and parents’ scientific literacy relate to children’s STEM media use. Results demonstrate positive relations between parent self-efficacy and child STEM media use (aligned with self-efficacy theory), but results also demonstrate no significant relation between parent scientific literacy and child STEM media use. We conclude that parent self-efficacy is an important social susceptibility for young children’s STEM media use and that future research should continue exploring potential interventions for promoting parents’ self-efficacy related to teaching their children science. Prior State of Knowledge: Little research has examined the relations between parents’ perceived beliefs that they can teach their children science and children’s engagement with STEM media. Children spend increasing time with media; thus, we should understand how to leverage this time for learning. Novel Contributions: The current study demonstrates that parents’ beliefs that they can teach their children science are positively associated with children’s STEM media use. However, parents’ scientific literacy was not associated with children’s STEM media use. Practical Implications: To get children to use more STEM media, interventions should focus on parents’ beliefs that they can teach their children STEM concepts, such as science. Parents influence children’s media use, and intervening with parents can help shape children’s media diets in positive ways.
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