The Implementation of Science Museums in the Sciences: An Interpretative Study

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DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, and this dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views and not essentially which are associated with university.

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ABSTRACT

This paper put forwards the argument that science museums have the potential to stimulate learning for all learners. The paper compares science museum learning and laboratory-based learning in the sciences. The paper further addresses the value of science museums in fostering cognitive and affective education in children or individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. The paper also provides an overview of science museums’ offerings that aim to promote learning during visits. Yet, another point raised in the paper is that science museums have both strengths and weakness areas that could influence learning in children or persons with Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder. In addition this paper emphasizes the importance of planning for science museum visits with the aim of enhancing learning and improved attitudes in individual or children with Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder. Finally, the paper provides implications or recommendations for science education, through museum visits, in children or persons with Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATIONII

ABSTRACTIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Outline of the Study1

Background to the Research2

Research Aims and Objectives3

Research Questions4

REFERENCES5

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Outline of the Study

This research focuses on the Implementation of Science Museums in the education and learning of science. The paper focuses on the value of science museums in fostering cognitive and affective education in children or individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. The study comprises of the following sections:

The first chapter introduces the topic of the research and provided the background, research scope, aims and objectives, research questions and time scale for the study.

The second chapter provides the appropriate and significant literature review for the selected research topic that signifies the past study in this field.

The third chapter provides a general idea about the research methodology that has been selected for this research. The methodology mainly includes; the research design, questionnaire design and framework, sampling technique, data collection method, ethical considerations for the research. In addition, reliability and validity of the survey is also defined in this chapter.

The fourth chapter provides the analysis of findings in a detailed manner so that a conclusive outcome can be obtained.

The fifth chapter summarizes the complete study and further presents future recommendations and limitations of the study.

Background to the Research

Research studies on science museums used to be considered as being infancy during the 1980s (Feher, 1990). In the past two decades, the increased amount of research discovered the importance that a science museum can bring in learning. There emerged a common thinking that science museums have been able to assist in affective, cognitive and social facets for the visitors (Rennie & McClafferty, 1996). One reason for this is that the physical and ...

What is Science?

What is Science?

Introduction

Science is one of the most extraordinary efforts of mankind to make more objective knowledge, against natural tendencies to make subjective and debtor interests, class or group and perhaps therein lies in the strength of their extraordinary progress. The positivist philosophy of science has over-idealized this position, attributing qualities to science extreme rationality and empiricism is not always achieved in practice. Consequently, for positivism scientific knowledge are neutral, value-free and is above outside influence to the objectivity of the facts, such as ideology, society, economy, social pressure groups, and trends subjective individual, etc., in short, is not influenced by the culture of the society in which they live and work scientists (Franklin, 1995). This position, along with the very difficult to understand much of the knowledge generated by science, has made public opinion has been designated by certain dehumanization, seeming that is beyond the abilities and interests of the average citizen; idea that has contributed to isolate the science of humanistic culture or simply the world of literature and the arts. However, in recent decades, epistemological studies, history and sociology of science have falsified this positivist view.

Discussion

Science, as it follows from the above is the most important part of the culture. Science includes both specific activities to obtain new knowledge, and the result of this activity, the amount received to date scientific knowledge, which collectively forms the scientific picture of the world. Scientific findings are usually presented in the form of theoretical descriptions, flow charts, summaries of experimental data and formulas. Unlike other types of activity, where the outcome is known in advance, the science increments the knowledge, i.e. its result is a fundamentally nontraditional.

For example, the art is another crucial element of culture, it is distinguished by the pursuit of logic, and most generalized, objective knowledge. Often, described as the art of thinking in images, while science is thinking in concepts. This does not mean the existence of impassable boundaries between science and art, as well as between science and other cultural phenomena (Jagtenberg, 1983).

The sociology of scientific knowledge has gone even further, arguing that it cannot be adequately explained without recourse to the social, that is that there is no scientific knowledge linked exclusively to rational and cognitive reasons. Numerous studies framed in the sociology of science, especially since the postmodern perspective, have come to show that science, like any other multiple human activities, is socially constructed and therefore, is subject to the influences of society and culture, while also influencing them as a result of mutual interaction, which is characteristic of any human system. Science was born in the context of Western culture, taking many of their values, beliefs and social conventions so that ethnocentrism permeates the culture of science, although the mark and the aura of neutrality and objectivity own rationality and empiricism that professes (Shadish, 1994).

Moreover, as history clearly shows the interaction of science with technology and society up to the present situation of profound overlap between ...