Exploring high school teachers' and students' experiences in the development of interactive exhibits on nanotechnology applications integrating responsible research and innovation: Practical approaches, challenges and benefits

Abstract

The present study was designed to explore the knowledge and experiences of a group of high school teachers and students about exhibitions, interactive and science exhibitions before and after the development and exhibiting of interactive science exhibit on nanotechnology applications integrating Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), their practical approaches in the process, challenges they faced in the process, and benefits they obtained from the process. The data from 3 high school chemistry teachers and 13 high school students were collected through the pre and post interviews, video recordings of the school club periods and meetings held by the teachers, weekly logs filled by the participants, field notes and the exhibits developed by the students. First, the results of the content analysis indicated that there was a remarkable improvement in the participants’ understandings of exhibition, interactive exhibitions and science exhibitions especially in terms of roles of exhibition, the types and benefits of interaction and methods used. Secondly, the researcher identified many common and different practical approaches taken by the participants during the process and classified them under themes depending on different phases of the process like Practical Approaches in Planning of Exhibit, and into sub-themes basing on a certain aspect or task such as Practical Approaches in Making Exhibits Interactive. Thirdly, the analysis revealed some challenges the participants confronted with in the process, which were categorized under 6 themes building on challenges in different stages of the process like Challenges in the Stage of Production of Exhibits, and into 11 sub-themes referring challenges in specific task or facet of the process such as Challenges in Integration of RRI. Finally, the benefits identified were sorted into 5 themes such as Increase in Awareness and Motivation, and into 19 sub-themes like Doing Self-reflection and Self-evaluation. Different as well as common challenges and benefits identified for the participants are explained, discussed and exemplified under different sections regarding the teachers and students.