Evaluación del perfil científico del público participante en la Semana de la Ciencia y la Tecnología 2023

Laburpena

The Science and Technology Week (SECyT) is a regional scientific event that has been taking place for 20 years in the Region of Murcia. Over the course of three days, the people of Murcia have the opportunity to explore various exhibition stands and engage in activities and experiences related to science and technology. The primary objective of this event is to bring science closer to the general population, fostering an interest in scientific subjects and enhancing the scientific knowledge of the participants. Over the last 10-12 years, the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Murcia has actively participated by offering workshops and informative activities covering a variety of themes, including those related to metals, beauty, and, most recently, the art of chemistry. The audience visiting the exhibition stand is diverse in terms of age, educational background, and interests, making it essential to understand the scientific profile of the attendees in order to design activities and provide new proposals in alignment with the participants’ scientific level. Additionally, it is convenient to assess whether the activities offered have been effective in enhancing the scientific knowledge of the participating audience. For the above reasons, in the 2023 edition of SECyT, an activity was introduced in which the public was invited to respond to a series of questions. A questionnaire consisting of 20 scientific questions was formulated, with 65% of the questions related to basic scientific knowledge and the remaining 35% connected to the workshops and activities featured at the stand. These questions were presented through Wooclap, allowing participants to independently access and complete the questionnaire using their mobile phones. Those who answered more than 90% of the questions correctly were eligible to receive a prize. The survey was completed by 69 participants. In the analysis of the survey data, it was observed that the participating public achieved an average accuracy rate of 69% in their responses to general and everyday aspects of Chemistry and Physics, which was slightly higher than the accuracy achieved in questions directly related to the activities of the exhibition stand, which stood at 60%. Based on these results, it is timely to evaluate both the relevance of the stand’s proposed themes, as well as the effectiveness of such events in disseminating scientific knowledge, considering their format, context, and time frame.