Authentic assessment of visitor learning in museum settings is a challenging endeavor. Evaluation literature includes very few studies that link adult visitors' behavior to their learning. Multiple data collection methods in a naturalistic environment hold great promise for increasing understanding of informal public education. In 1997, Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport, Oregon, opened a new visitor center. This unique science museum was designed with strong educational goals in mind. The first gallery, the Pattern Garden, was intended to provide a framework of understanding that visitors would build on during their journey through the museum. The three main exhibits in this gallery include a touch pool with live tidepool animals, a sound exhibit with listening stations, and a water wheel that demonstrates chaos theory. This study is a summative evaluation of these three exhibits and their educational effectiveness, both individually and as part of the overall gallery. Data on exhibit holding power and visitor behavior were collected for this evaluation. The touch pool and the sound station were videotaped, while field notes were used to document holding power at the water wheel. In addition, a wireless microphone was mounted at the touch pool to document discussion between visitors and docents. Visitors who spent a minimum of ten seconds at each of the three exhibits were interviewed as they prepared to leave the museum. The interviewer asked the visitor to recall the Pattern Garden exhibits, with special attention to things they learned and associations they made to their daily lives. Both holding power and learning proved to be the greatest at the touch pool. Further investigations are indicated to isolate whether it was the content of the exhibit, the presence of a docent, or other factors that made it particularly effective. The water wheel's holding power was nearly as high as that of the touch pool, but visitor learning scores were lower. Interview data indicated that the complex, difficult nature of the chaos concept was partly responsible for the low educational results. The sound station resulted in moderate holding power and moderate learning. Difficulties and successes in the research design indicate important factors to consider for future evaluation studies at informal science learning centers. / Graduation date: 1999

Currently South African museums are faced with the challenge of evaluating and transforming their roles and functions as a response to changing national educational needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether aspects of the integrated strategies approach to promoting scientific literacy can be successfully employed in a museum context. The approach was used as part of the education programmes at the Port Elizabeth Museum School (Bayworld) and mixed methods were used to gather qualitative and quantitative data on the teachers’ ability to adopt the strategy. Data were also generated on the teachers’ perceptions of teaching and learning, possible activities which supported the approach, and aspects of the strategy which the learners adopted most readily. The findings suggest that active engagement in the process resulted in effective adoption of the strategy by the teachers, improved attitudes towards science learning by both the teachers and children who participated in the process, and improved scientific literacy in both.

Abstract in English, Tswana and Xitsonga / Education officers based at science centres and museums play a significant role in teaching the visiting learners science. However, little is known about their teaching practices at these centres. The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching practices of education officers when teaching science in a science centre environment. The focus of this study was on the education officers’ knowledge and instructional strategies used in teaching science at a science centre in Pretoria, Gauteng province. A qualitative case study approach was used. Data was collected from the three participating education officers using semi-structured interviews and observations. Data was analysed separately from each case using education officers’ knowledge framework guidance. The findings from this study indicate that although education officers have shown an adequate content knowledge in teaching science at the science centre their teaching method was teacher-centred and non-interactive and show-and-tell strategies were more common amongst the education officers. The study also revealed that education officers did not use their resources/exhibits effectively in teaching science. It is recommended in this study that intensive training of education officers is required before they can interact with the visiting learners. / Baokamedi ba thuto ba kwa mafelong a maranyane le dimusiamo ba tshameka karolo e e botlhokwa mo go ruteng barutwana ba ba etileng dithuto tsa maranyane. Mme goitsiwe go le gonnye ka mekgwa e ba e dirisang kwa mafelong a. Morero wa thuto e ne e le go tlhatlhoba mekgwa ya baokamedi ba thuto fa ba ruta dithuto tsa maranyane mo tikologong ya lefelo la maranyane. Ntlhakgolo ya thuto e e ne e lebile kitso le mekgwa e e dirisiwang mo go ruteng maranyane mo lefelong la maranyane kwa Pretoria, porofensing ya Gauteng. Mokgwa wa boleng ba kgetsi thuta o dirisitswe. Tshedimosetso e tserwe mo baokameding ba thuto ba bararo ba ba neng ba tsere karolo ka mokgwa wa dipotsolotso tsa seka-kago le tebelelo. Tshedimosetso e tlhatlhobilwe kgetsi le kgetsi go dirisiwa kgakololo ya lenaneo la kitso ya baokamedi ba thuto. Dipitlhelelo tsa thuto e di supa gore le ga baokamedi ba thuto ba bontsha kitso e e lekaneng mo go ruteng maranyane kwa lefelong la dithuto tsa maranyane mekgwa ya bone ya go ruta e ne e lebagane bone gape e sena kamano mo go dimo ga moo mekgwa ya go buwa le go bontsha e ne e le tlwaelo gareng ga baokamedi ba thuto. Thuto e bontshitse gape gore baokamedi ba thuto ba ne ba sa dirisi didiriswa ka natlafalo mo go ruteng maranyane. Kgakololo go tswa mo thutong eno ke gore baokamedi ba thuto ba tlhoka katiso e e utlwalang pele ba ka kopana le baithuti ba ba etang. / Vadyondzisi lava kumekaka eka ndhawu ya science na museum va tlanga xiphemu xa nkoka swinene eku dyondziseni ka vadyondzi lava va endzelaka ndhawu leyi. Hambi swiri tano, i swi ntsongo leswi tivekaka hi madyondziselo ya science eka ndhawu leyi. Xikongomelo nkulu xa dyondzo leyi akuri ku lavisisa tindlela ta madyondziselo ya vadyondzisi loko va dyondzisa tidyondzo ta science endhawini leyi ya tidyondzo science. Dyondzo leyi ayi kongomisiwile eka vutivi na tindlela leti vadyondzisi va letelaka ha kona vadyondzi edhawini leyi ya science ePitori, eka Xifundzha nkulu xa Gauteng. Maendlelo ya qualitative case study ya tirhisiwile eka vulavisisi lebyi. Vuxokoxoko byi hlengeletiwile ku sukela eka vadyodzisi vanharhu va science hi ndlela ya mbulavurisano na vulangutisisi bya vukheta swinene. Vuxokoxoko lebyi byi hleriwile hi ku hambana hambana hi kuya hi vutivi bya vadyondzisi lava vanharhu. Hambi leswi vadyondzisi lava va nga kombisa vutivi byo ringanela no twisisa tidyondzo ta science eka ndhawu leyi, swi kumekile leswaku madyodziselo ya vona aya pfumeleli vadyondzi ku va teka xiphemu eku tirhiseni ka swikombiso na switirhisiwa swo pfuneta ku twisisa tidyondyo ta science. Vadyondzisi a va tirhisa ndlela yo vulavula no komba switithisiwa na swikombiso swo pfuneta tidyondzo leti ehandle ko pfumelela vana ku tirhisa swilo leswi swa science. Ku yisa emahlweni, swi kumekile leswaku vadyondzisi a va tirhisi switirhisiwa kumbe swikombiso swo va pfuneta eka dyondzo ya science hi ku hetiseka. Hi ku landzelela dyondzo leyi, ku tsundzuxiwa leswaku vadyondzisi va kuma dyondzo yo enta no enela ku suka eka va vutivi byo antswa va nga si nyikiwa mpfumelelo wo dyondzisa vana tidyondzo ta science. / Science and Technology Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Natural Science Education)