Science centers and scientific literacy: Promoting a relationship with science

This research explores the perceptions, ideas, and understanding about science of the staff and adult visitors to an interactive science center. Data were collected from 63 staff and 102 visitors through interviews and a survey designed for the study. Visitors' perceptions about science were more limited than those of the Center staff, especially in terms of the nature of science. For example, after their visit, visitors were more Rely to think that scientists always agree with each other, that scientific explanations are definite, and that science has the answers to all problems. Staff were more skeptical than visitors about scientists' ability to communicate their work clearly and that scientific knowledge would not be misused. Staff were more positive and confident about their own use of science than were visitors. The research suggests that visitors to the science center have a positive experience, most of them recognize a change in the way they think about science, and this change represents not just learning new knowledge, but a step toward a change in their relationship with science. This outcome is consistent with one of the major roles the staff saw for the Center: that visitors should become more aware of and interested in science, and leave feeling more comfortable with it. Although the staff were very enthusiastic about what they saw as a positive impact on visitors' science-related experience, many also felt there was room for improvement, especially in terms of how the nature of science was portrayed, and the representation of controversial aspects of science. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.