Learning in a science centre with a language deficit?

Abstract

Science centres are visited by schools with children that have a good comprehension of Dutch and by schools with children that have a poor comprehension of Dutch. This study investigates the learning gain of both groups in the new engaging interactive exhibition ‘Treasure Island’ at the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden, The Netherlands. Children with a poor comprehension of Dutch score worst on a knowledge test before and after the visit to the exhibition compared to the children with a good comprehension of Dutch. The later learning even more about the exhibition than the first, although not significantly. The results suggest that a good comprehension of Dutch is important in learning in a science centre but can also be interpreted as a case for interactive exhibitions.

Keywords

• science
• education
• science centre
• language deficit
• museum boerhaave