• Heureka's history
• Organisation
• Annual reports
• Research
  • Science Centre Schools
  • Connect
  • PENCIL project
  • Hands on Brains on Project

UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI

Faculty, Department
Faculty of Education Department of Teacher Education

Author
Kallio-Kokko, Saara Annina

Title
Science Centre – A Place for Learning: scientific Thinking and Motivation in the Science Centre Heureka’s Children’s Laboratory

Subject, Level, Month and year, Number of pages
Education, M.A.Thesis, February 2001, 76 p. (5 app.)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out how the fifth-grade pupils explain some concepts of chemistry. The study was also aiming at getting information about different types of motivation and their appearance in science centre learning. Secondly, the study was aiming at evaluating the accomplishment of the aims of the Science Centre Heureka’s Children’s Laboratory. The purpose of the study was also to describe how the pupils experience working in the laboratory under guidance.

Learning and the basics of scientific thinking were studied as a theoretical background of the study. The theory of motivation and its connection with learning were also examined. In addition to these, the background of science centre education was clarified.

The data was collected by using written questionnaires before and after the visit to the science centre Heureka. The data includes the common ability test, the knowledge test, the motivation test and the situation motivation test. The motivation test was earlier used by Salmi (1993). The data was collected in the autumn 1999. The available population was formed of two school classes. 47 pupils attended into the pre-test and 43 pupils attended into the post-test.

The results of the study showed that pupils tend to explain concepts of chemistry in a superficial way. The explanations were based on the pupils’ own experiences and their preconceptions. The science centre Heureka’s children’s laboratory was noticed to be a motivating environment for the pupils. The situation motivation appeared to be strongest type of motivation among the pupils and it was shown to have certain connection with learning.

Keywords
Scientific way of thinking, science centre education, intrinsic motivation, instrumental motivation, situation motivation

Where deposited
The Library of the Faculty of Education (also available at Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre)