title: Astrobiology outreach and the nature of science: the role of creativity.
abstract: There is concern in many developed countries that school students are turning away from science. However, students may be choosing not to study science and dismissing the possibility of a scientific career because, in the junior secondary years, they gain a false view of science and the work of scientists. There is a disparity between science as it is portrayed at school and science as it is practiced. This paper describes a study to explore whether engaging in science through astrobiology outreach activities may improve students' understanding of the nature and processes of science, and how this may influence their interest in a career in science. The results suggest that the students attending these Mars research-related outreach activities are more interested in science than the average student but are lacking in understanding of aspects of the nature of science. A significant difference was detected between pre- and posttest understandings of some concepts of the nature of science.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Astrobiology, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia. j.fergusson@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fergusson
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Malcolm R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D003405:Creativity; D018559:Exobiology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D018535:Mars; D012106:Research / Q000193:education; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D013334:Students