Science communication is a key component of the academic process. Science centres provide researchers with an opportunity to convey their findings directly to the public, who in turn can be sure that they are receiving information from a trusted source. Therefore, this paper focuses on a new researcher-led public engagement project situated within…

This study aimed to understand the actions carried out for dialog between science centers and science museums with the public of local communities living in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability. The study adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach and the theoretical framework of science communication, of the exercise of citizenship and…

Questions have a critical role in learning and teaching. People ask questions to obtain information and express interest in ideas. The Bristol scientific centre "We The Curious" launched "Project What If" in 2017 to inspire residents of Bristol to record their questions and pursue their curiosities. Researching these questions…

Science centres are informal learning spaces embedded with artefacts embodying mediational affordances. This exploratory and small-scale mixed methods study juxtaposes eye-tracking technologies and qualitative interviews to examine how visitors to a gallery navigated this space and interacted with different artefacts. A total of 15 visitors to the…

Science Cafés create open, public forums to promote the exchange of ideas between science experts and the public. This study explored Science Café attendees' interest in science content, and motivational factors in attending events as well as documenting what attendees did with the information presented at an event through the means of a survey (n…

Theories linked to embodied cognition emphasise the importance of kinaesthetic learning in shaping higher-order cognitive processing. By spreading the cognitive load to other senses while still contributing to central schema, embodied learning can build long-term memory and engagement, especially in young children, leading to improved performance.…

The current study, which uses a survey approach, aims to identify middle school students who visit BILSEMs (Science and Art Centers) in terms of their creativity and learning preferences and to look into the impact of various factors on these traits. In the 2021-2022 academic year, 214 fifth, sixth, and seventh graders were chosen using the…

Science centers, despite their growing popularity (Association of Science and Technology Centers [ASTC], 2022), have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) concerns (Garibay & Olson, 2020) that threaten the achievement of their mission (Feinstein & Meshoulam, 2014) and the very utility of their existence (Ash 2022; Dawson, 2019). The…

In this paper, the authors focus on theoretical discussions regarding the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, whose importance has become greater for science centers in the past two decades, but has no clear definition. We examine the background of the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, including its scope and qualities, through…

This paper draws on a multi-phase project that sought to understand and increase young children's engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) objects. The paper presents findings from one aspect of this project that involved using storytelling to support young children's agency with STEM objects in a UK science museum.…

This study aims to explore the perspectives of gifted students on augmented reality, one of the innovative possibilities offered by instructional technologies. Action research involved 40 gifted students aged 10-11, enrolled in a Science and Art Center (SAC). Over the course of five weeks, the study focused on teaching various topics related to…

Research into teaching and learning in science museums has led to innovations in pedagogy, exhibits, and educational programming. Science museum facilitators play a critical role in advancing the educational missions of their institutions, yet the roles that these facilitators have in academic research projects aimed at understanding learning…

This paper explores how biodiversity is represented at the "Life in Crisis Schad Gallery of Biodiversity" (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto). Using theoretical perspectives related to science, technology, society and environment (STSE), and biodiversity in science museums, we conducted a qualitative case study of the exhibit. Data…

This study pursues a twofold objective: first, to assess Physical Science teachers' knowledge in teaching at science centers, and second, to investigate their perceptions of their roles in facilitating teaching within these centers. Employing a qualitative case study method with interviews and observations, eight teachers voluntarily participated.…

This paper critically explores the pedagogy of "Science World" in creating disciplined, birthing patients within the sexuality education BodyWorks gallery on display in Vancouver, Canada. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, I explore the ways in which power/knowledge circulates to regulate and de-agentalise bodies in a science…