Science Literacy in Palestine

Science Literacy in Palestine Promising Initiatives

By Bisan Battrawi

its beauty. Only recently, however, did I really start to appreciate science as a method and a way of thinking and living. My attempt to define science was a benchmark for this. I became incredibly curious to read what renowned scientists thought about science. The more I read, the more fascinated I became. This turning point led me to begin to think a little more in depth about the importance of science and my role as a biologist and a science communicator in promoting the real meaning of science. Two years ago, I began to work with the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project (WHKSEP) of the Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development – A.M. Qattan Foundation, as a researcher with a focus on informal science education, that is, science education outside the formal school context. Through my work with the project team in developing

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious – the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” – Albert Einstein

My personal journey with science began about eight years ago during high school, where I fell in love with biology, which has been my favourite topic ever since. I loved it simply because it was part of my everyday life as a human being, and I found this overwhelmingly fascinating. From that point onwards, I decided to continue studying biology, and I made it my undergraduate major. University was difficult, but the advanced courses intrigued me even more and allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the earth with its tremendous biodiversity. My passion for studying science at that time was purely selfish, as my goal was to have a rewarding experience that allowed me (and only me, back then) to better understand life and nature, and enjoy

activities and programmes in science communication that are intended to raise science culture and literacy in Palestine, I have been able to connect my passion for science with people. The more I work with people, the more I realise the value of science literacy for our country and communities. In the 21st century, science literacy has become an essential indicator of development, given the fast pace of scientific advancements and the connectedness of science to our everyday lives. Science literacy allows us to be more critical, it makes us raise questions and look at things differently, in a spirit of curiosity.

science literacy within societies, science centres and informal science learning venues have become unprecedentedly essential. In Palestine, there is a general lack of interest and investment in science communication initiatives, when the need for such initiatives certainly exists. Emerging from that need, the WHKSEP has developed an informal science programme that aims primarily to work on activities intended to increase its

The Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project – a personal reflection on my experience in informal science education The global movement of science communication and informal science education has been in continuous expansion over the past decades. Given the connection science has to many, if not all, aspects of people’s lives, in addition to the general lack of

The DNA extraction experiment as part of the Science Snacks in Ramallah.

Science Days Palestine activities in Hebron.

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Static electricity Science Snack in Bethlehem.

have encountered new and different experiences that have triggered tremendous attention from the target groups, somewhat positively altering their enthusiasm about science. For instance, we have introduced the “Kattan Science Snacks,” which are events in which people from various Palestinian communities are invited to freely interact with and conduct small and simple science experiments in an attempt to raise their interest and familiarity with science. Our “snacks” experiences – which have been developed in conjunction with students and their science teachers – have been very popular with our

target group’s familiarity with science, as well as science culture and literacy within Palestinian society. It is not so easy to define informal science education, for informal science is ubiquitous and can be learned all the time. The following particular definition by Nicholson et al. (1994) puts it perfectly: “[informal science education consists of] activities that occur outside the school setting, which are not developed primarily for school use, not developed to be part of an ongoing school curriculum, and characterized as voluntary as opposed to mandatory participation.” Our work at the WHKSEP in informal science education is truly exciting. We 44

Our most recent event was Science Days Palestine 2013, which was organised in cooperation with the Institut Français, the Goethe Institut, and the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem. We also hosted the International Science Film Festival as part of this event, and offered science activities; film screenings that covered various topics, including biodiversity, energy, sustainability, and astronomy; science snacks; science cafés; scientificdiscussion activities; and workshops in more than 11 locations all over Palestine, including Nazareth. Science Days Palestine 2013 was an attempt to bridge formal and informal science learning; we worked intensively with teachers and students to develop such activities for their own communities. Science Days Palestine 2013 was our first nationwide intervention in informal science education, and it was a very rich experience for us. Our initiatives in science communication and informal science education at the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project emerge from the belief that science is a tool that enables us to connect to humanity and the Earth; science literacy is certainly an empowerment tool that allows for a better future. I personally believe in the effectiveness of this tool and its vitality in triggering positive change for a better future. As Neil deGrasse Tyson, a great scientist and science communicator, once said: “If you are scientifically literate, the world looks very different to you, and that understanding empowers you.”

target groups of families, students, and teachers. One of the most popular snacks, and a favourite of mine, is the DNA extraction experiment, in which people can visualise this mysterious thing called DNA by extracting it from their own saliva or from a fruit. Although the concepts of this experiment are not understood by the younger audiences, it is fascinating to see how they interact with it given that they are “getting messy” with science and having a very personal experience. We can hear people express their altered interest in science thanks to the snacks interactions; some students believe that their participation has led them to love science. In addition to the science snacks, we have also been working in the “virtual online world” through social networks, and particularly Facebook. Early in our project, we started our “social network sites” initiative in which we employ Facebook as a tool to tackle issues of science culture and literacy in Palestine and the world. We have created a bilingual (Arabic and English) Facebook page called “Creative Minds,” which is our virtual informal-sciencelearning venue. Our goal through this initiative is to encourage an active audience to follow and interact with the page’s content and engage in generating science-related discussions and knowledge sharing. For instance, we have posts such as “science news and updates from last week,” online events to observe astronomical phenomena, and venues for active audience participation in real scientific research, among others. This initiative has gained much interest not only in Palestine but also in the Arab world and other countries. We face many challenges through this experience, both in content and means of communication, such as Facebook policies, disengagement of users with controversial issues, etc. We have learned a tremendous amount and have cumulatively developed better means of communication with our audience.

Bisan Battrawi is a researcher at the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project, Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development - A.M. Qattan Foundation. She coordinates the WHKSEP informal science programme, which works on informal science learning activities within communities in Palestine. Bisan also coordinates for the WHKSEP study on the establishment and implementation of an interactive science museum/centre in Palestine. 45