Conducting science fair activities: Reflections of the prospective science teachers on their expectations, opinions, and suggestions regarding science fairs

PSTs’ expectations and outcomes of the science fair practices, their difficulties and future instructional plans, and their suggestions are discussed under related sub-titles below.

Affective expectations and outcomes of the science fair practices

Getting Attention/Arousing Curiosity/Endearing Science

Examining the views of science teaching educators, Grote (1995) suggested that the most of the participants’ interest and curiosity for science increased after science fairs and projects. Within the context of school, interest is an important variable since it may affect the amount and quality of learning and academic performance (Holstermann, Grube, & Bögeholz, 2010). According to Bruce and Bruce (2000), factors affecting the interests of students in science should be present in their science fair experiences. At this point, Bernard (2011) points that students might be reluctant to prepare projects for science fairs during their first participation in science fairs; however, they can embrace their own studies, and their interest in science fairs can increase over time.

Engel (2011) draws attention to the studies showing that even though children might show curiosity for science in early ages, their curiosity decreases as they age (as cited in Luce & Hsi, 2015). At this point, science fairs can be considered as an effective tool for sustaining or re-arousing the interests and curiosity of students towards science. The findings of the present study are consistent with this view. For instance, according to the field notes taken during the practices, a student -labelled as naughty and lazy by his/her teachers- stated that: [thanks to this fair] the scientist in me has aroused, which excited his teachers.

Science fairs can also be beneficial for visitor students. According to Jaworsky (2013), science fair activities can be effective in increasing positive attitudes of visitor students towards science. In the present study, even though direct data regarding the outcomes of the practices were not collected from visitor students, findings obtained from PSTs indicated that visiting students benefited from the practices. For instance, one of the PSTs shared that:

After observing the experiments conducted by their friends, visitor students stated that they wanted to see such an activity again and participate in the activity this time. (FI-9)

Gaining positive experiences through individual participation in scientific activities (Blenis, 2000) can be determinant in students’ future profession preference (Tai, Liu, Maltese, & Fan, 2006). Although little is known about how science fair activities affect students’ future profession preference (Dionne et al., 2012; Finnerty, 2013), they are believed to have an influence in the career preference of students (Schmidt, 2014). The findings of the present study also indicated that PSTs were of the opinion that science fairs would have an effect on students’ choice of profession. For instance, the following view from one of the PSTs provides an insight on the effect of science fair practices on this issue:

Such practices may affect students’ future. For instance, they may create a model of digestive system, become curious about an area in biology, and draw the figures of organs, then might choose the field of medicine in university, or one of them may like to engage in electrical tool and then choose electrical engineering in university. (FI-29)

In addition, there is evidence that science fairs are effective in making visitor students become engaged in science, and prefer a career in science in the future. For instance, a visitor student shared after the science fair that:

I want to be a science teacher, too. I want to conduct such experiments.

Communication opportunity

PSTs stated that the biggest outcome of science fair practice was the opportunity to communicate with students. Guven (2013) also found that through managing science projects of the 6th grade students within the scope of Community Service course, the prospective teachers became more familiar with students and developed themselves in terms of communicating with students. These results also support the views of Grote (1995) suggesting that science fairs enable prospective teachers to develop their communication skills with students and bring students together with others who are interested in science. Similarly, Sahin and Onder Celikkanli (2014) suggest that having an opportunity to communicate with their friends, teachers, and family members during science exhibits had a positive influence on students.

Enjoyable learning

Barmy, Kind, and Jones (2008) indicate that most students find science lessons boring and non-applicable. At this point, it is important to conduct activities in and out of school which students find entertaining and effective. Examining the factors affecting the participation of students in science fairs, Korkmaz (2012) indicated that entertainment was one of the mostly mentioned factors by students at 4th- 8th grades (9-16 years). In parallel, Abernathy and Vineyard (2001) stated that science fair and Olympic students found science fairs entertaining, and they learned new things through the fair. Similarly, Murray and Reiss (2005) stated that most students found their science experiences entertaining. The findings of the present study also suggest that conducting science fair practices in schools would be convenient in terms of creating opportunities for students to learn science in an entertaining environment. Science fairs also offer the opportunity for prospective teachers to experience an entertaining and beneficial process with the cooperation of universities and secondary schools.

Cognitive expectations and outcomes of the science fair practices

Gaining experience/developing knowledge and skill

Examining their cognitive expectations, PSTs shared that they expected to gain experience and develop knowledge and skills. After the practice, they stated that the science fair practice provided them experience, and developed their knowledge regarding the field and on how to conduct experiments. This is parallel with McCarthy (2015), examining prospective teachers’ knowledge and skill development in science through science fairs. Similarly, Guven (2013) reported that prospective teachers taking the responsibility for science project management of secondary school students mentioned that it was a fruitful experience which enabled them to individually study with students before graduation.

In the present study, after the science fair, PSTs stated that the practice created a learning opportunity for both visitor and participating students, and helped them develop their knowledge regarding learning science and conducting experiments. Similarly, according to Guven (2013), project studies conducted by 6th grade students under the guidance of prospective teachers had a significant effect on developing scientific process skills of students. Sahin and Onder Celikkanli (2014) also reported that participating students entertained through conducting experiments, gained new knowledge, and found opportunity to apply what they had learned previously.

Connecting science to daily life

Some of the PSTs thought that science fair practices would contribute students to connect science with daily life. After practices, they also expressed that students were able to connect science with daily life through science fair activities. This finding supports the findings of the study by Dionne et al. (2012) which states that 64% of 36 participants aged between 16-18 years who participated in science fairs thought that participating in science fairs would help them in their daily lives.

The difficulties related to the science fair practices

Regarding the challenges of the science fair practices, PSTs evaluated conducting and explaining experiments as the biggest challenge. As suggested by Bischoff and Read (2005), prospective teachers should have full knowledge of the subject they will teach in order to provide education in a way to anticipate the possible questions directed from participants, and guide them with target oriented questions without giving the answer. At this point, prospective teachers should have the skills to listen, observe, and understand what students know (Bischoff & Read, 2005).

In addition, some PSTs regarded management as a challenge to encounter during the process. It was difficult for them to organize students during the practice. Similarly, Guven (2013) reported that organizing students was a challenge for prospective teachers who were guiding secondary school students to conduct projects.

Regarding challenges,Sahin and Onder Celikkanli (2014) reported that some students assigned as participants in science exhibition were aware of the hazardous features of the experiment they conducted as well as materials they used in those experiments. In the present study, only one PST mentioned after the practice that students had difficulty with working with chemicals while some PSTs stated that students had no difficulty at all.

Instructional plans

Before the practice, most of PSTs stated that they would conduct experiments, give activity based education, and organize science fairs in future. After the practices, the number of PSTs planning to use experiments and provide activity based education and organize science fairs was increased. Similarly, Durmaz (2010) conducted a study with 15 science teachers graduated from the same faculty of education and were serving in different provinces of Turkey with professional experience between 1-4 years. She examined the effect of participation in projects they developed when they were prospective teachers and science fairs organized by their faculty of education. All participants stated that developing projects, presenting them, and participating in science fairs positively contributed to their professional development. Half of the participants stated that they organized science fairs in the schools they served after this contribution. The experiences prospective teachers gained during the years of their initial teacher education created a basis for their professional development. From this point, it is believed that including science fair practices in the period of their initial education is appropriate in order to raise prospective teachers who will provide experiment and activity based learning in their future professional life.

The suggestions of PSTs regarding the science fair practice

While choosing experiments according to the level of students was not considered as an issue before the practice, after the practice, half of the PSTs thought that experiments should be appropriate for the level of students. This indicates that PSTs will pay attention to choosing experiments according to the levels of students while organizing science fairs in their future professional life. Similarly, the rate of PSTs thinking that experiments should be attractive, visual, and entertaining was increased after the practice.

The percentage of PSTs commenting on the period and frequency of the practice increased after the science fair. Accordingly, they stated that science fairs should be expanded to 2-3 days rather than being a one-day activity; more students should participate in the fair; and the frequency of the practice should be more than once a year. Similarly, in a study by Guven (2013), prospective teachers complained about time limitation during project guidance. Finnerty (2013) also mentioned limited time as a challenge for both teachers and students during science fair projects.