Using Science Communication Strategies to Close the Resource Gap in Under-Resourced Schools: a Design-Based Study Focusing on Rural Schools in South Africa

Abstract This paper draws from our Science Material Development Project which was interested in understanding how engagement strategies used by science communicators in informal learning environments such as science museums could be used to improve science teaching and learning experiences in under-resourced schools. We demonstrate how the Complementarity of Learning Framework (Colfram), a design tool, was used to develop a simple Do-It-Yourself (DIY) science kit. We followed the design-based research methodology which had three stages: needs analysis, development of learning material, and evaluation of the designed learning material. A detailed needs analysis was conducted, focusing on Grade 9 natural sciences classes at three secondary schools from a rural district in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Afterwards, a nucleotide blocks DIY science kit was developed and evaluated by the Grade 9 students and teachers at the same schools. Further evaluations were conducted by consulting five life science teachers based at urban schools in Durban, South Africa. Our results showed that the designed DIY science kit successfully facilitated effective science education experiences in under-resourced classrooms by eliciting the affective domain as well as affording teachers alternative approaches for content delivery. We also illustrated how the Colfram’s minimalist design approach may be suitable for teachers to use in designing their own inquiry-based learning material. Overall, the study demonstrated how engagement strategies from informal learning environments have the potential to offer cheaper, more accessible, and immediate interventions to help close the resource gap in under-resourced schools.