How did a science camp affect children’s conceptions of science?

The results of the study revealed that the children learned the process of science at the science camp. Their conceptions of science shifted from popular conception of science which includes finding unknowns, making inventions, making life easier, and benefits to the society to more scientific conception which includes a concise and detailed understanding of the scientific processes such as inquiry, experiment, data collection, observation, measurement, interpretation, and prediction. This shift in their conception of science demonstrates the effectiveness of the science camp program, because guided-inquiry in the science camp program would have facilitated their understanding of the process of science by conducting inquiry at the nature. In addition, they had opportunity to reflect their understanding of the scientific process during the explicit NOS activities.

In this study, science was introduced to the children in an informal learning environment by conducting guided-inquiry at the nature. This is an authentic way of introducing science, since science itself searches nature. Depending on the positive changes in the children’s conception of science, we recommend such informal learning environments to introduce science to children in an alternative way.

Acknowledgement: This study was supported by Science and Society Department of Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (STRCT) with a grant number of 108B016.