University of Twente Student Theses
Content knowledge and scientific reasoning in an informal STEM environment and the influence of prior knowledge and design characteristics.
Noorel, E.B. van (2023) Content knowledge and scientific reasoning in an informal STEM environment and the influence of prior knowledge and design characteristics.
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| Abstract: | Engaging in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) becomes increasingly important in school. However, students perceive STEM-related lessons in school as abstract, causing low motivation. Much STEM learning happens in informal STEM environments. A collaboration between schools and these environments could make classroom STEM-related lessons more concrete. Studying to what degree this enhancement takes place can provide schools and informal environments with information for collaboration. This study investigates fifth- and sixth-grade students' knowledge and scientific reasoning gains after engaging with an informal STEM environment and the effects of prior knowledge and the environment’s design characteristics. This study was conducted with 127 fifth- and sixth-grade students from seven classes. A pre/post-test measured their knowledge and reasoning gains after a workshop in science museum Museumfabriek and the influence of prior knowledge on these gains. Engaging in the informal environment was found to contribute to knowledge and reasoning. The learning gains for the group with prior knowledge were smaller than for the group without. Seven focus-group interviews were conducted to understand the design characteristics that contributed the most to the knowledge and reasoning gains. The most frequently mentioned design characteristics were fun and interest, curiosity, personal experiences, complementing formal situations and hands-on activities. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 81 education, teaching |
| Programme: | Educational Science and Technology MSc (60023) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/96556 |
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