Assessing informal learning in an aquarium using pre- and post-visit drawings

Cainey, Jill M.; Bowker, Robert M.; Humphrey, Lauren; Murray, Nicola

doi:10.1080/13803611.2012.670400

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(51 reference statements)

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“…A key factor that makes educational interventions successful is to have appropriate procedures to assess pupils' knowledge [8]. On this issue, art-based procedures are distinguished by their effectiveness when it comes to looking into young children's development and their learning process, also in the specific field of the comprehension of natural phenomena [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study on the Spontaneous Representation of Animals in Young Children’s Drawings of Plant Life

et al. 2018

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Previous research indicates that complex biological concepts may be successfully introduced in preschool age, provided that suitable educational interventions are designed for the initial stages of education. In this regard, there is evidence that a basic understanding of the issue of the ecological interactions among organisms may be achieved in the preschool years. With this in mind, this research project tests the assumption that recognising the fact that plants and animals are not isolated creatures, but live engaged in constant interactions in nature, may begin to be understood in early education. To that end, this study examines the content of free drawings that a sample of 328 children aged four to seven years of age, undertook when explaining their understanding of plant life. Data regarding the type and frequency of the depictions of animals found in the children's graphic explanations on flora is collected and read in conjunction with participants' gender and academic level. The results show that a substantial proportion of the children in the sample spontaneously drew illustrations of animals in their graphic explanations concerning vegetable life and, more significantly, some pictures show plants and animals engaged in clear contact. This is the case, despite the fact that the drawing activity had been focused solely on the issue of plant life and no indication linked to depicting other kinds of living things mentioned during the activity. The conclusions discuss the data collected in connection with the growing number of research projects that study the question of how young children begin to embrace the fundamental biological concepts that pave the way to the understanding of natural phenomena and make the public capable of making responsible choices when it comes to sustainability issues.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study on the Spontaneous Representation of Animals in Young Children’s Drawings of Plant Life

et al. 2018

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Section: The Aquarium Hobby As a Mechanism For Increasing Conservatiomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The attractiveness of aquarium landscapes also furnishes a basis by which aquaria can be used by aquarium hobbyist associations and other private and public entities to increase public conservation awareness (Taylor 1993;Cainey et al 2012;Reid et al 2013;Schwan et al 2014). In essence, an aquarium reveals the often hidden aquatic world to the general public in much the same way as films and other media do (Monroe et al 2009;Cooke et al 2013).…”

Section: Turning the Tide In The Relationship Between Aquarium Hobbyimentioning

confidence: 99%

The aquarium hobby: can sinners become saints in freshwater fish conservation?

et al. 2014

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The aquarium hobby is popular worldwide, but it has positives and negatives for freshwater fish conservation. The most damaging impacts of the aquarium trade on ecosystems are overharvesting and invasive species. Consequently, many conservationists and academics have the perception that aquarium hobbyists are generally harmful to species conservation. Without overlooking these major drawbacks of the aquarium hobby, we aim to establish common ground between hobbyists and conservationists by correcting some misconceptions and showing the benefits of serious aquarium hobbyists in the conservation of freshwater fishes and their habitats. Our overview illustrates that the aquarium hobby is not insensitive to the pernicious effects of this enduring hobby on natural systems and that serious aquarists and their associations can directly assist and fund scientific research, increase conservation awareness among the general public and even participate in ex situ and in situ conservation programmes for native fish species at national or international levels. Whilst the relationship between conservationists and the aquarium hobby has often been antagonistic in recent years, ultimately most biologists and aquarists share a love of the species they study or maintain, and this common interest could be the basis for a more positive and productive relationship.

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“…Learning in a tour is informal learning in that it is less systematc and structured and more fexible. It depends on learners' self-motvaton and is a hand-on experience in real contexts, involving considerable cooperaton and sharing (Cainey, Bowker, Humphrey & Murray, 2012;Cheng & Ho, 2011).…”

Section: Informal Learning Environments and Science Centersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Informal Science Centers in Science Education: Attitudes, Skills, and Self-efficacy

Sasson

2014

J. Technol. Sci. Educ.

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Informal learning relates to actvites that occur outside the school environment. These learning environments, such as visits to science centers provide valuable motvatonal opportunites for students to learn science. The purpose of this study was to investgate the role of the pre-academic center in science educaton and partcularly to explore its efects on 750 middle-school students' attudes toward science, their scientfc thinking skills and self-efcacy. Pre and post-case based questonnaires were designed to assess the students' higher order thinking skills-inquiry, graphing, and argumentaton. In additon, a fve-point Likert scale questonnaire was used to assess students' attudes and self-efcacy. The research results indicated a positve efect of the pre-academic science center actvites on scientfc thinking skills. A signifcant improvement in the students' inquiry and graphing skills was found, yet non signifcant diferences were found in argumentaton skill. The students signifcantly improved their ability to ask research questons based on reading a scientfc text, and to describe and analyze research results that were presented graphically. While no signifcant diferences were found between girls and boys in the pre-questonnaire, in the post-questonnaire the girls' scores in inquiry skill were signifcantly higher than boys' scores. Increases in students' positve attudes toward science and self-efcacy were found but the results were not statstcally signifcant. However, the program length was found to be an important variable that afects achievement of educatonal goals. A three-dimensionbased framework is suggested to characterize learning environments: organizatonal, psychological, and pedagogical.

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Assessing informal learning in an aquarium using pre- and post-visit drawings

Cited by 21 publications

References 34 publications

A Study on the Spontaneous Representation of Animals in Young Children’s Drawings of Plant Life

A Study on the Spontaneous Representation of Animals in Young Children’s Drawings of Plant Life

The aquarium hobby: can sinners become saints in freshwater fish conservation?

The Role of Informal Science Centers in Science Education: Attitudes, Skills, and Self-efficacy

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