Animations scientifiques en classe de primaire: des effets motivationnels pour qui et pour quelle intensité de participation?

Primary teachers use informal science workshops to supplement science teaching. These activities are meant to foster student’s motivation in science, but few studies with control groups and randomization have attempted to determine their effects. Our experimental study aims to (1) measure the impact of one of these programs (Les Débrouillards) on students’ motivational processes, and (2) explore the moderating role of certain characteristics of the students (age, gender, socio-familial adversity, and scientific capital) on these effects. We randomly assigned twenty-eight 5th and 6th grade classes (n = 526) with one of four conditions: 0, 1, 2 or 3 in-class science workshops of one hour. Students completed a pre-test and post-test questionnaire to assess their self-efficacy as well as their values towards science. The results of the hierarchical regressions indicate that exposure to the program did not have an effect on the motivation of all students. However, participating in the workshops (vs. no workshops) produced a number of interaction effects. The moderators’ examination revealed that the program was more beneficial for boys, for older students (potentially countering the decline in interest as students age), and for students with little science capital, especially. These results suggest that students’ characteristics are important to consider when evaluating the effects of informal science presentations, and that such programs can be an advantage in environments where activities promoting scientific literacy are not easily accessed.