Authentic science in the classroom—students’ perceptions of their experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to characterize how students experience taking part in authentic research, specifically through the Medicine Hunt, a project designed to increase motivation for science and understanding of research in the Swedish secondary school. The study also investigates potential differences in students’ experiences related to context, in terms of participating in the Medicine Hunt in different classrooms. Twenty-four students from three Swedish lower-secondary schools participating in the Medicine Hunt were interviewed. The main result is that students’ experiences were positive and related to science. Their focus is to a large extent on authentic science, and covers many of the aspects the Medicine Hunt is aiming to introduce in school, like the hands-on and inquiry-based ways of working and the opportunity to do what scientists do. Students’ answers are also to a high degree connected to the science content and to learning science. Few differences in students’ experiences related to the different classrooms were found.