NJIT Technology Survey of K-12 Science Education

The following questions were asked and responses given in the NJIT Technology Survey of K-12 Science Education. The poll was conducted among 400 New Jersey adult selected randomly from a list of residential phone numbers. The interviews were conducted by telephone from October 11-14, 2001. Quotas were established by region based on census population figures in New Jersey counties. The margin of error for this survey is ±4.9% on the overall sample. The margin of error on sub samples is greater.

Results of the survey are also available in Microsoft PowerPoint format:
http://www.njit.edu/News/Releases/NJIT_K-12_Education_Charts.ppt

1. For classification purposes, are you over the age of 18?
100% Yes

2. How would you rate the quality of education at in New Jersey’s public schools?
13% Excellent
52% Good
20% Fair
5% Poor
9% Don’t know/refused

3. What do you consider the greatest strength of New Jersey’s public schools? (OPEN END)
24% Good/dedicated teachers
3% Good programs
3% Small classes
3% Diversity
2% Strong focus on academics
2% Extracurricular activities
2% Attentive to the children
2% Good administrators
2% Large percent of students go on to college
17% Other
40% Don’t know/refused

4. What do you consider the greatest weakness of New Jersey’s public schools?
9% Funding
8% Large classes
8% Lack of quality teachers
6% Children not behaving / Lack of discipline
6% Schools in poor communities not equal
2% Lack of parent participation
2% Racism / Racial discrimination
2% Poor communication between teachers and children
2% Curriculum needs upgrading
2% Poor administration
21% Other
32% Don’t know/refused

5. Did you yourself attend a public school for any grade from kindergarten to high school in New Jersey?
60% Yes
40% No
* Don’t know/refused

6. Looking back on it, how would you rate the quality of the education at the public school or schools you attended in New Jersey?
26% Excellent
53% Good
15% Fair
5% Poor
1% Don’t know/refused

7. What was your favorite subject when you were in high school?
24% History and Social Studies
24% Math
19% Reading and English
15% Science and Technology
4% Art
3% Foreign Language
3% Gym
1% Music
3% Other
2% None
1% Don’t know/refused

8. From the same list, what was your least favorite subject in high school?
33% Math
14% Science and Technology
13% Reading and English
12% History and Social Studies
9% Foreign Language
7% Gym
2% Music
2% Art
3% Other
4% None
2% Don’t know/refused

9. Is there a subject that, looking back on it, you wish you had learned more about?
18% History and Social Studies
17% Math
14% Science and Technology
13% Foreign Language
8% Reading and English
2% Music
2% Art
* Gym
5% Other
17% None
2% Don’t know/refused

10. In your current job and in everyday life, what subject do you use the most?
32% Math
32% Reading and English
11% Science and Technology
6% History and Social Studies
2% Foreign Language
1% Music
1% Art
* Gym
6% Other
7% None
2% Don’t know/refused

11. Are you a parent of a child living at home with you who is attending school in New Jersey and is currently in kindergarten thru twelfth grade?
33% Yes
67% No

12. How would you rate the quality of education in your community’s public schools?
24% Excellent
43% Good
16% Fair
6% Poor
11% Don’t know/refused

13. What is/are your child’s/children’s favorite subject in school?
29% Math
21% Reading and English
19% Science and Technology
10% Art
9% History and Social Studies
4% Foreign Language
4% Music
4% Gym
* Other
3% None
6% Don’t know/refused

14. From the same list of subjects, what school subject does/do your child/children like the least?
28% Math
18% Reading and English
11% History and Social Studies
8% Gym
7% Foreign Language
4% Science and Technology
1% Music
1% Art
2% Other
13% None
11% Don’t know/refused

15. By what grade do you think a child should be introduced to the idea of learning about a career?
11% Kindergarten through third grade
24% Fourth through sixth grade
41% Seventh grade through ninth grade
20% Tenth through twelfth grade
2% After high school
1% While in college
* After college
* Never
2% Don’t know/refused

16. Does/do your child/children know what he or she wants to be when they are grown up?
43% Yes
54% No
3% Don’t know/refused

17. What school subject do you think your child/children will need to do well in order to have a chance to go into and succeed in their chosen line of work?
40% Math
34% Science and Technology
29% Reading and English
7% Music
3% Foreign Language
3% Art
2% History and Social Studies
2% Gym
3% Other
2% None
4% Don’t know/refused

18. How often do you help your child/children with their homework?
63% Every night
17% A few times a week
3% Once a week
2% A few times a month
4% Once a month
* A few times a year
3% Rarely
7% Never
2% Refused

19. How would you rate the quality of science education at your community’s public schools?
14% Excellent
38% Good
19% Fair
5% Poor
24% Don’t know/refused

20. How would you rate the quality of math education at your community’s public schools?
20% Excellent
38% Good
15% Fair
5% Poor
22% Don’t know/refused

21. How interested would you say your child is in science?
55% Very interested
31% Somewhat interested
8% Not very interested
* Not interested at all
5% Don’t know
2% Refused
 
22. How interested would you say your child is in math?
43% Very interested
38% Somewhat interested
10% Not very interested
5% Not interested at all
3% Don’t know
2% Refused

Would you say you strongly or somewhat agree/disagree with this statement?)

23. Science and math are harder to learn than other subjects.
32% Strongly agree
23% Somewhat agree
23% Somewhat disagree
17% Strongly disagree
4% Don’t know
* Refused

24. A knowledge of science and math is as valuable as knowing how to read and write.
67% Strongly agree
21% Somewhat agree
7% Somewhat disagree
5% Strongly disagree
* Don’t know
* Refused

25. Girls and boys are equally able to understand science and math.
66% Strongly agree
17% Somewhat agree
8% Somewhat disagree
8% Strongly disagree
2% Don’t know
* Refused

26. Girls are discouraged from pursuing careers in engineering.
19% Strongly agree
19% Somewhat agree
26% Somewhat disagree
26% Strongly disagree
10% Don’t know
* Refused

27. It is harder for a child to fit in with peers if they like science and math.
12% Strongly agree
17% Somewhat agree
25% Somewhat disagree
38% Strongly disagree
7% Don’t know
* Refused

28. Anyone can understand science.
31% Strongly agree
26% Somewhat agree
25% Somewhat disagree
18% Strongly disagree
1% Don’t know
* Refused

29. By the time a child has graduated from a New Jersey high school, do you think he or she will have learned enough about science?
37% Yes
48% No
15% Don’t know/refused

30. By the time a child has graduated from a New Jersey high school, do you think he or she will have learned enough about math?
49% Yes
39% No
12% Don’t know/refused

31. Have you ever talked about your child’s science education with their teacher?
48% Yes
51% No
1% Don’t know/refused

32. Have you ever talked about your child’s math education with their teacher?
68% Yes
30% No
1% Don’t know/refused

33. Which of the following do you think would do the most to improve the science education in your local public schools?
23% Smaller classes
23% Better teachers
14% Better equipped labs
12% Higher standards
7% Expanded after school programs
5% Better textbooks
3% More field trips
7% Other
6% Don’t know/refused

34. Have you or anyone in your family participated in a pre-college program offered by a New Jersey college or university? At which college or university?)
21% Yes
77% No
1% Don’t know/refused

34.X. At which college or university?
13% Rutgers
7% Montclair State
6% Fairleigh Dickinson
5% Union County College
5% Rowan
5% Atlantic Community College
4% Seton Hall
2% Burlington County Community College
2% William Patterson
2% County College of Morris
2% Camden County College
2% Monmouth
2% Kean
2% Stevens Institute
2% Essex County College
2% Jersey City State
6% Other
13% Don’t know/Don’t remember/Refused

35. What kind of program did you or a member of your family attend?
6% Business Administration
5% Computers
5% Math
5% Nursing
4% College Prep
3% Health
2% Chef
2% Science
2% Business
2% Liberal Arts
2% History
2% Medical Education
2% Engineering
2% Pre-law
2% Political speaking
12% Other
30% Don’t know/Don’t remember/refused

36. How would you rate the effectiveness of the program? Would you say it was very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective or not effective at all?
46% Very effective
40% Somewhat effective
8% Not very effective
2% Not effective at all
4% Don’t know/refused

37. In which grade is/are your school age child/children? Do you have any other school age children living at home with you?
38% Kindergarten through third grade
30% Fourth through sixth grade
29% Seventh grade through ninth grade
23% Tenth through twelfth grade
5% Don’t know/refused

38. Does/do your child/children attend a public school or a private school?
85% Public
14% Private
2% Don’t know/refused

39. Do you expect your child/children to go to college?
97% Yes
2% No
1% Don’t know/refused

40. What is your age please?
10% 18-24
16% 25-34
26% 35-44
17% 45-54
10% 55-64
15% 65+
6% Refused

41. What is the last grade of formal education you have completed?
3% Less than high school
27% High school graduate
22% Some college/vocational school
31% College graduate
16% Post graduate
1% Refused

42. Which of the following best describes your occupation?
38% Professional
10% Clerical/administrative
9% Service oriented
7% Sales
6% Stay at home parent
4% Manufacturing
15% Other
9% Not employed / Retired
1% Don’t know/refused

43. What is your average total annual household income?
13% Under $25,000
10% $25,000 to $34,999
11% $35,000 to $49,999
17% $50,000 to $74,999
12% $75,000 to $100,000
12% Over $100,000
24% Don’t know/refused

44. Which of the following best characterizes your main racial or ethnic background?
71% White / Caucasian
11% Black / African American
8% Hispanic / Latino
4% Asian American / Asian
2% Other (SPECIFY, DO NOT READ)
4% Don’t know/refused
48% Male
52% Female

B. COUNTY
North (49%): Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren;
Central (24%): Ocean, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Monmouth;
South (27%): Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem.