Design and implementation of a nanoscience & nanotechnology workshop: investigating 11th grade students' a wareness and conceptual understanding of nanoscience & nanotechnology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a nanoscience and nanotechnology workshop (NNW) and determine its effectiveness by examining the change in students’ awareness and conceptual understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology related concepts. In this study, a mixed-method design was used. The quantitative part of the study included a pre-experimental design (pre-test and post-test design with no control group) and the qualitative part involved interviews, observations and artifacts. The participants for the research were 79 eleventh grade students from two private schools and a public school. Two different classrooms from the public school attended the NNW. Data regarding students’ awareness of nanoscience and nanotechnology were collected through the Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Awareness Questionnaire (NNAQ). Seven items of NNAQ were adapted from Nanotechnology Awareness Instrument developed by Dyehouse et al. (2008). The other items of the NNAQ were added by the researcher. Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Conceptual Understanding Questionnaire (NNCUQ), Workshop Evaluation Questionnaire (NNWEQ) and semi-structured interviews were adapted from the instruments developed by Akaygun (2010a, b). In the study, the NNCUQ was used to measure 11th grade students’ conceptual understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology related concepts. The NNWEQ was used to assess student feedback and recommendations with regard to the workshop. In order to explore students’ previous knowledge, understanding and expectations from the workshop, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Each one-to-one interview was audio recorded. Quantitative data were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA, paired samples t-test, independent samples t-test and chi-square tests. The interviews were transcribed and the student answers were coded. The results of the analysis indicated that attending the workshop increased the students’ awareness and conceptual understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology.