Previous studies have identified sociocultural factors as one set of classroom variables impacting students’ performance in science. In this study, Jamaican grade 12 students’ perceptions of the sociocultural environment of their chemistry classes were measured, using a modified version of the Sociocultural Environment Scale (SCES) developed by Jegede and Okebukola (1988). The six sociocultural factors explored in this study are: authoritarianism, goal structure, traditional cosmology, societal expectations, sacredness of science and language.

This paper reviews the initiative undertaken by the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, to partner with secondary schools in hosting a series of one day workshops for students preparing to sit the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations. The initiative allowed grade 12 and 13 students to participate in activities in specific STEM disciplines.