Abstract:

Informal learning becomes more and more important in a time when media sources are often doubtful and so-called fake news are ubiquitous. Also initiatives like “Fridays for Future” demonstrate the importance of science communication between scientists and lay people, especially the youth. Thereby, science communication should focus on the general public, including all educational backgrounds and social classes. This view is well reflected in the term “science popularization”. In our opinion museums, information centers and libraries can have a crucial role within this matter, since they are meeting points for the interested public. However, it is insufficient just providing information on demand for those who are already interested or even engaged in science. Instead, the core question is: How to create interest and engagement of the broad public?

Nowadays science communication is characterized by a participative approach, i.e., there is a general shift from public understanding of science to public engagement in science. However, in praxis, linear unidirectional approaches (based on the deficit model) still prevail and real participative initiatives are rather seldom. Based on existing literature and prior empirical research, we outline the new possibilities for science popularization in general and participative approaches in specific. Thereby, we discuss the barriers for participative approaches and how to overcome them.

After these theoretical considerations, we present the YES! project as a practical use case that is coordinated by an information centre (ZBW). It provides school pupils the possibility to work on their own scientific ideas and projects (within the fields of economics and social sciences) in the form of competitive team work, i.e., several teams from different schools all around Germany take part in a competition for the best idea/scientific project. Thereby, the school teams work together with scientists (as scientific mentors) as well as with their teachers (as pedagogical mentors). The YES! project includes several diverse elements of science popularization that would be also useful for other initiatives. We outline these elements and present a list of “take aways” for other similar initiatives. The paper closes with an outlook and discussion of open questions and possible answers.

Keywords:

Science popularization, informal learning, science communication, participative approach, public engagement in science, scientific dialogue, school competition.