Magdalena Kersting
‘I loved exploring a new dimension of reality’ - a case study of middle-school girls encountering a space science programme in the classroom
Driven by the belief that school students of all ages should be exposed to our best scientific knowledge, space and Astronomy education has emerged as a new field in science education research. While research has started to provide accounts of secondary and undergraduate students’ conceptual understanding and motivation in this learning domain, the introduction of these topics at the middle-school level is still understudied. This poster presents an exploratory case study that addressed the need for in-depth research on space and Astronomy education in middle-schools. Specifically, the study looked at a space science programme run with two year 9 (single-gender) classes (39 girls of age 14-15 years) in an independent day and boarding school in Australia. Based on focus group interviews and open-ended questionnaires, we documented the range of the girls’ experiences of space and Astronomy. The analysis revealed three categories that correspond to a personal, scientific, and holistic way of experiencing the space science programme. These experiences influenced the girls’ perception of and orientation to science by increasing interest in space, Astronomy and Astrophysics, challenging traditional stereotypes, and showing future possibilities such as career paths in science. Our findings inform a discussion about improving instructional practices in science classrooms to realise the full potential of space and Astronomy education in middle schools. Furthermore, our study adds to a growing body of research that aims to foster the interest of middle-school girls in science.
How can we realise the full potential of space and Astronomy education in middle schools? Against the backdrop of international efforts to foster young girls’ engagement with science, this study has explored the potential of a space science programme to encourage such engagement and interest in science through the middle school years. We focus on middle-school education because these years appear to be the most crucial in shaping attitudes towards science. For example, a large body of research exists that students’ experiences during this time are the primary determinant of their decisions to pursue further study of science.
Space and Astronomy education, as well as topics of Einsteinian physics such as special and general relativity, are particularly promising learning domains to foster interest and engagement among students. However, most educational researchers have studied learning and motivation in these fields in the context of secondary and undergraduate education. Unfortunately, the introduction of these topics at the middle-school level is still understudied. This exploratory case study, therefore, addressed the need for in-depth research on space and Astronomy education in middle-schools with a focus on girls’ interests and attitudes.
We conducted a space science programme with two year-9 classes (39 girls of age 14-15 years) in an all-girls private school in Australia. Over eight lessons, the girls worked in small groups to design a learning object about a self-chosen concept of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. We used qualitative research methods, including open-ended questionnaires and focus group interviews, to gain insight into how the girls encountered the space science programme in the classroom.
Our analysis identified three distinct categories that correspond to a personal, scientific and holistic way of experiencing the space science programme. Establishing characteristics of such variation in the experience of students can help teachers respond to the diverse needs of students and facilitate productive opportunities for learning in the science classroom. Besides, these experiences influenced the girls’ perception of and orientation to science by increasing interest in space science, Astronomy and physics, challenging traditional stereotypes, and showing future possibilities such as future career paths in science.
For example, we found a clear link between positive attitudes towards science and scientific concepts of the programme such as gravity, spacetime, or ‘mysterious’ phenomena such as black holes. It seems that many girls had not considered these topics to be part of science before. Moreover, many girls reported that the programme challenged traditional stereotypes related to the scope and nature of science and to the ways the girls perceived scientists. In particular, the girls appreciated learning that physics was not dry or dull, but an active field covering topics related to Astronomy, space science, and even philosophy.
The impact of the space science programme on the girls’ interests and attitudes encompassed future possibilities in science as well. Many girls described science as being relevant for their future, for example, as a subject to choose for further studies or as a possible career path. Some girls even stated that the programme had changed their general outlook on learning and education.
In summary, by exploring how middle-school girls experienced topics of space and Astronomy education, and how these experiences, in turn, influenced the girls' orientation towards science, we add to a growing body of research that aims to foster and maximise the interest of middle-school girls in science.