My research focused on three attributes of disposition, namely, motivation, attitudes and resilience. In summary I can conclude that although these are probably not the only attributes necessary for influencing learners’ dispositions they do play a significant role, as evidenced by the data from the research participants. The three attributes play a complementary role in respect of each other. An attitude towards science on its own cannot produce the right disposition. Motivation is also required, especially when the attitude is not positive. Both attitude and motivation work together to produce resilience in learners. Thus these attributes of disposition are seen as interwoven in this study, rather than as independent of each other. Motivation is a key factor for learners to have the right disposition towards science learning. If one looks at L4, who happened to be the only girl in my study, and who attended the expo, one sees a significant shift in her disposition towards science learning. Originally she had wanted to become an actress, but after she took part in the ESKOM Expo, her focus shifted in terms of her strategic awareness. L2 explained that prior to taking part in the science expo he did not really see himself as a science-oriented person, but all that had changed and he was now willing to pursue other science-related fields in future.
The attitude of learners also plays an important role in determining whether or not they will be inclined towards learning science. This was seen in the case of all the research participants. In
the case of L3 and L4, to be precise, who did not seem to have an interest in science at the beginning, it appears that their positive attitude made it possible for them to take part in the expo, despite not winning. L2 also indicated that he would never stop doing science and would even attend more expos. This is despite the fact that he has entered the expo twice already and has never won a prize.
Resilience is a third important ingredient for learners, in addition to a positive attitude and motivation. From listening to the learners’ experiences as they narrated them, reading their journals and watching them in workshops, it was clear to me that it took some serious determination on the part of those who made it to the end. The process was not without its frustrations and challenges, but they persevered regardless. L4 for example, described the frustration of losing all her work saved on a flash stick. She also told how she would travel to and from town to make use of the library. L3 described the challenges of finding the right equipment to use in testing the water in his project; these could have easily discouraged him, but he did not give up. Considering that entering the expo was a voluntary and not compulsory process, the resilience displayed by the learners is commendable.
Several shifts in disposition were recorded. These include a change in attitude towards science, opting for future careers that are based on the discipline of science, wanting to take part in expos again, and an increase in confidence when dealing with science-related projects. These shifts represented notable changes on the part of the learners in this study.
Shifts in disposition were found to be the result of taking part in the expo. The shifts were caused by several factors, including the learners’ getting help from other people, finding learning environments that were conducive, and doing projects that were close to their hearts. The central conclusion that I reach as a result of this study is that participation in science expos certainly does have an influence on learners’ disposition towards science learning. This influence can either be negative or positive. My findings revealed that the influence was more positive than negative. From most of the learners that I interviewed I gathered that there had been a shift in their disposition. Even the disgruntled learners indicated that even though they might not take part in an expo again, they would continue learning science at school.
6.3 Extent to which my research questions were answered
Five sub-questions were asked in my research to unpack my main research question: How does participation in science expo influence grade 9 learners’ disposition towards science learning? The first sub-question asked what motivated learners to take part in the expo. This question was mainly answered through journals and in the semi-structured interviews with learners. These findings were reinforced by the fact that the learners went through to the expo, and by the explanations they displayed on their exhibition charts at the expo.
The question of what activities resulted in the development of scientific skills as learners worked on the projects was answered by semi-structured interviews and also observation. This question was not easily answered by the research methods used. This was because when learners actually worked on their projects they were on their own, and herein lies the importance of self-regulation, as proposed by Vygotsky (1978).
Sub-question three was about attitudes towards science before and after the expo. The question of attitude relied on consideration of factors such as interest and enjoyment. The interview responses adequately addressed this question. The causes of changes in the learners’ disposition towards science learning were answered by observation at workshops and responses to interview questions, in which learners indicated the activities they took part in which enhanced learning. All the learners indicated that the way they were taught in preparation for the expo was different from what they were used to. L1, L3 and L5 in particular seemed to suggest that they learnt more effectively in preparation for the expo, and from that it could be concluded that the way learners prepare for the expo has an influence on their disposition.
Lastly, interviews gave data on the disposition of the learners after the expo. Two of them indicated that although they would not participate in the expo again, they would continue to learn science-related subjects.