Science, technology, engineering and maths achieve incredible things, it can be exciting, awe inspiring, even entertaining and fun, but that doesn’t mean that everyone will automatically make a personal connection with it or feel that it is something for them.
Research shows us that many young people who enjoy science, grow up feeling that it is not for them.
We have found that many people see that science is just a subject that is taught in school and don’t see that it has any relevance to them beyond the classroom – yet in one form or another, it is part of our daily lives.
The language we use around STEM, both verbal and visual, often reinforces the idea that it is for people who aren’t ‘like me’.
I’m not sure now when I first encountered science capital.
Whether it is on a school visit, as a family day out, or maybe through an experience online, there are many different reasons why museums and science centres are such great places for engaging people with science.
Over the past few months we, at the Science Museum, have been working in partnership with TES and the Arts Council England.
STEM engagement is at the heart of what we do in our museums, and science capital provides us with a research based insight which builds on our understanding of what influences and shapes people’s engagement and attitudes towards science.
In November 2016 we launched the first wave of our new and updated hands-on resources for use in the classroom or at home.
Science capital research has highlighted the need to create links between young people’s science experiences at school, home, and out of school (for example, in museums).
In October 2016, the National Railway Museum launched Future Engineers, a new annual event aiming to spark young people’s interest in engineering.
When designing learning resources, activities and events as part of the Enterprising Science project, we have repeatedly tried to create connections between science and students’ homes, families and local communities.