UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
Faculty, Department
Faculty of Education Department of Teacher Education
Author
Luostarinen, Katja Kristiina
Title
Dinosaurs at Heureka Science Centre: experience and scientific thinking
Subject
Education
Level
M.A.Thesis
Month and year
October 1996
Number of pages
90 p. (9 app.)
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to discover the readiness level of scientific thinking among sixth graders. The aim was also to describe and analyze experiences that pupils had at the dinosaur exhibition and what factors were involved in experiencing it.
The focal point in the research of scientific thinking is the hypothesis that pupils might know more than they are able to tell (see Polyani 1966; Barba 1993). For this reason, the research material was provided by using various methods: oral, written and illustrated. The example of Engeström (1990), which is about the criteria for the quality of information, was used in planning the research methods and as the foundation for material analysis.
The experiences of pupils were studied by the talk-aloud method (Ericsson & Simon 1987). The pattern of Falk and Dierking (1992), which describes the factors that are connected with experiencing an exhibition, was used as the foundation of material analysis.
The research material consists of pre and post measuring forms that the sixth graders of one class filled in as well as talk-aloud recordings made at the dinosaur exhibition. Pre-measuring involved 33 pupils, recordings were made by 31 pupils and post-measuring involved 30 pupils. The material was collected at Heureka Science Centre in August 1995 and also at the school in Helsinki in January 1996.
The results showed that pupils mainly explain scientific concepts and phenomenon superficially. The way that the pupils explained certain concepts was often based on daily information and their own experiences. However, the research indicated that some of the pupils had more information than they were able to express in writing. On the other hand, some of the pupils had alternative ways of thinking about some concepts and these came up only in illustrated explanations. In an oral test the pupils aimed at replacing scientific concepts with alternative linguistic expressions.
The majority of the pupils classified phenomena according to their own observations. Only a few tried to create their own ways of explaining what they had seen. The dinosaur exhibition proved to be an effective and motivating environment. Furthermore, the talk-aloud recording seemed to motivate the pupils.
Keywords
Dinosaurs, scientific way of thinking, science center education, talk-aloud -method
Where deposited
The Library of the Faculty of Education (also available at Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre)
