Understanding the roles of family and school backgrounds in developing students’ scientific literacy

Using survey data from almost 120,000 primary and secondary school students in a major Chinese city, this study examines how family background and school environment shape scientific literacy. We combine standardised test scores with rich contextual information and employ multiple linear regressions, heterogeneity analyses, and Structural Equation Modelling. The results show that both family and school backgrounds significantly influence scientific literacy, with school quality exerting the stronger effect. These impacts vary across scientific skill dimensions and student ability levels, revealing strong complementarity between school resources and student achievement. The findings underscore the importance of improving school environments, supporting low-achieving students, and strengthening family – school cooperation to foster scientific competency.