Biodiversity and Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE): Visitor Perceptions at a Science and Natural History Museum

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3211

Keywords:

public perception of science and technology, adults, science and natural history museum.

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated perceptions of STSE topics manifested by adults visiting four biodiversity exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. Seven visitors were observed by researchers during their visits and completed post-visit interviews. The theoretical perspective on STSE relationships expounded by Pedretti and Nazir (2011) and Steele (2014) was adopted for the analysis portion of this investigation. Results indicate that the exhibits were able to communicate their central messages on the relationship between human beings and the natural world and the relationship between science and society, as well as reveal some of the effects that these messages had on the public. However, results also support the assertion that some of the intended STSE concepts were not perceived by the participants. Moreover, we identified limitations regarding adult visitors’ abilities to perceive science and technology as human activities embedded in a social, historical and moral context.

Author Biographies

Pedro Donizete Colombo Júnior, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Institute of Exact, Natural and Educational Sciences (ICENE)

Profesor in Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Institute of Exact, Natural and Educational Sciences (ICENE).

Martha Marandino, Faculty of Education, University of São Paulo

Titular profesor in Faculty of Education, University of São Paulo.

Graziele Scalfi, National Institute of Public Communication of Science and Technology (INCT-CPCT)

Researcher in National Institute of Public Communication of Science and Technology (INCT-CPCT).

References

Colombo Junior, P.D., Marandino, M., & Scalfi, G. (2023). Biodiversity and Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE): Visitor perceptions at a science and natural history museum. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 9(3), 753-773. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3211

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2023-08-24

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2023)

Section

Articles

License

Articles may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Authors alone are responsible for the contents of their articles. The journal owns the copyright of the articles. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of the research material.

The author(s) of a manuscript agree that if the manuscript is accepted for publication in the International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), the published article will be copyrighted using a Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International” license. This license allows others to freely copy, distribute, and display the copyrighted work, and derivative works based upon it, under certain specified conditions.

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to include any images or artwork for which they do not hold copyright in their articles, or to adapt any such images or artwork for inclusion in their articles. The copyright holder must be made explicitly aware that the image(s) or artwork will be made freely available online as part of the article under a Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International” license.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.