Filter by keyword: Popularization of science and technology

Publications including this keyword are listed below.

80 publications found

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Exploring Chemistry: the impact of an interactive chemistry model on student motivation in non-formal education spaces

by Ariane Carolina Rocha, Ana Carolina Steola and Ana Cláudia Kasseboehmer

The negative image of Chemistry that students have, associated with chemophobia, reflects the decontextualized way in which the subject is often taught. This study investigates how an interactive chemistry model, developed for a science communication exhibition, can influence high school students’ perception and motivation to learn chemistry. Based on the Theory of Self-Determination, the chemistry model illustrates Advanced Oxidation Processes in a safe, interactive and accessible way. The exhibition was visited by 250 public high school students. Data was collected based on the responses of the participants who answered the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire and took part in semi-structured interviews conducted as part of the study. The results obtained showed that the interactive chemistry model exerted a positive impact on the following intrinsic motivation factors: interest, perceived competence, effort, value, pressure/tension, and perceived choice. The science communication activity also stimulated the participants’ interest in pursuing university education, reinforcing the role of non-formal education in helping overcome chemophobia.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Engaging science: audience perceptions of informal science communication on Arabic YouTube channels

by Omar Daoudi and Muhammad Awais

This study investigates the emotional and cognitive responses of Arabic-speaking audiences to informal science communication on YouTube. Focusing on three prominent Arabic YouTube channels that provide science content, @Da7ee7, @NidhalG, and @Espitalia, the study analyzes their communication styles to explore how stylistic differences shape audience engagement and perception. The study classifies the channels into three distinct communicative styles; humorous, academic, and conversational to examine variation in audience responses. Employing computational content analysis, the study applies LDA topic modeling and sentiment analysis to examine emotional and cognitive engagement in user comments. Results show that humorous content is associated with stronger positive emotions and cognitive activation, whereas academic and conversational styles evoke more mixed reactions. Topics like space science and artificial intelligence elicit complex emotions such as confusion and admiration. Addressing a key gap in Arabic-language science communication, the study reveals how style and topic shape public engagement in culturally specific digital spaces.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 04, 2026 Article

Science News Agencies in science communication: an exploratory index for evaluating and enhancing public interest in mass-distributed press releases

by Monique Batista de Oliveira, Mariana Hafiz, Alice Fleerackers, Luiá Bolonha Nunes and Germana Fernandes Barata

Scientific press releases are reaching the public directly through press reproduction and institutional dissemination. Science News Agencies (SNAs) mediate this process, distributing texts to thousands of journalists while also "leaking" them on their websites and social media. This comparative case study examines four SNAs — BORI, SMC UK, AlphaGalileo, and EurekAlert! — regarding their role in circulating public scientific information. Through literature review, SNA analysis and principles such as openness and inclusion in science, we converted scholars' concerns into a preliminary index potentially capable of assessing SNAs' public suitability. SARP (Social Adequacy Rating for Press Releases) suggests a shift from purely public relations content towards serving the public interest, highlighting areas needing attention in SNAs' social function, to be refined in future research. Clear guidelines, links to open scientific articles, and explicit notices on press releases’ purposes are simple yet effective ways to address issues concerning science public relations' pervasiveness in the public sphere.

Dec 11, 2025 Practice Insight

Scaffolding in science mediation: a superhero-based educational initiative to explore how mediators support students' knowledge appropriation

by Florence Vigneron, Cecile de Hosson and Muriel Guedj

This practice insight examines how science mediators facilitate students' appropriation of scientific knowledge. It focuses on the Science of Superheroes initiative, which is an informal education curriculum activity designed to engage middle school students in exploring environmental challenges through the creation of a superhero. Using Bruner's scaffolding framework, we analyze how mediators' interventions shift between scaffolding functions, depending on the task. While the appropriation of scientific knowledge is supported by questioning and information-sharing strategies, the creative phase sees an increase in proposal-based scaffolding, which struggles to counterbalance students' reliance on magical thinking. This cognitive tension highlights the challenges of integrating scientific knowledge into a fictional narrative. Our findings highlight the need for science mediators to refine their questioning techniques, foster greater self-regulation among students, and enhance their ability to meaningfully incorporate scientific concepts into their superhero designs. Our study contributes to ongoing discussions on the professionalization of science mediation and offers new insights for mediator training.

Volume 24 • Issue 07 • 2025

Nov 19, 2025 Article

Public communication of science by Argentinean researchers: changes and continuities in a digital world

by Luciano Guillermo Levin Dr. and Pablo Kreimer

Starting from the premise that public science communication practices have changed in recent years, this paper asks where these changes are heading and what factors can explain them. We conducted a survey among researchers at CONICET[CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas) is the National Council of Science and Technology.] in Argentina, asking them about these changing practices. Considering the major technological changes that have taken place in recent years, we find that science popularisation activities have intensified, but with significant differences in the means used to communicate informed by the career stage of the researcher. We also consider the different motivations of scientists to engage in science communication activities.

Volume 24 • Issue 07 • 2025

Nov 10, 2025 Article

Wonder and Disappointment observing the sky: How emotions shape astronomy communication interactions

by Joana B. V. Marques and Andrew P. Carlin

Emotions are key features of observations of the sky, yet studies exploring the characteristics of emotions in these activities remain scarce. In this article we analyse the emotions present in a video corpus of 13 hours of sky observations. These observations were recorded and analysed using a naturalistic approach that provides evidence about their structure and the role of emotions as they happen, in context. Although common throughout our data, emotions are complex and varied. We characterize their form, placement, evocation and role in the interaction. Moreover, findings highlight the collaborative nature and centrality of the sharing of emotions in the interaction and the presence of expressions of intimacy, authenticity, contemplation, reflection, and curiosity in these emotional moments. The identification of diverse emotional interactions and the discussion of their importance to astronomy communication contributes to the literature on emotions, the training of guides, and the evaluation of these activities.

Volume 24 • Issue 06 • 2025 • Emotions and Science Communication (Emotions and Science Communication)

Aug 04, 2025 Article

Stem cell hype, hope and hardship: a computational frame analysis of news media content

by Nguyen Yen-Khanh, Hong Tien Vu and Minh Tran

Stem cell research and therapies have been the topic of hype in the news media in Europe, America, Asia and the Pacific. Using a computational approach, we examine stem cell hype in the news media in the unique political, media and cultural context of Vietnam. The results indicate a pattern of the news media portraying this medical advancement as a source of national pride and achievement to tap into consumers' patriotism. The computational frame analysis method was shown to be efficient, helpful, and useful when researchers are confronted with urgent social, technological or public health matters. Findings from this study suggest that there is a need for national and international efforts to investigate news media content that misrepresents the current stage of stem cell treatment efficacy and risks.

Volume 24 • Issue 04 • 2025

Jun 25, 2025 Practice Insight

Reevaluating broadcast television news and current affairs programs for communicating scientific knowledge in everyday natural settings in Japan

by Taichi Masu and Yasuhito Abe

This practice insight explores the potential of broadcast television news and current affairs programs for science communication in everyday viewing environments. Using the Japanese news program Shins¯o H¯od¯o Bankisha! as a case study, we assessed its impact on public knowledge of “blue carbon”, a relatively new scientific topic. The program aired on May 28, 2023, reaching an estimated 2.76 million viewers in the Kanto region. A survey revealed that viewers exposed to “blue carbon” through the broadcast showed significant knowledge gains compared to non-viewers, regardless of their interest in science. This included individuals with low scientific interest, a group often excluded by traditional science communication methods. Despite the rise in popularity of digital media formats, broadcast television news and current affairs programs showed their unique ability to disseminate scientific knowledge to diverse audiences, even in today’s multitasking environments. These findings highlight the enduring relevance of television in science communication and its potential to complement digital platforms for broader public engagement.

Volume 24 • Issue 03 • 2025

Apr 14, 2025 Article

Contesting dominant AI narratives on an industry-shaped ground: public discourse and actors around AI in the french press and social media (2012-2022)

by Panos Tsimpoukis

This paper studies how artificial intelligence was set to the agenda in the press and social media in France. By simultaneously analysing the framing of AI and the key actors who dominated the discourse on this technology in the national press and on the X and Facebook platforms, the study highlights, on the one hand, the influence of digital companies and government narratives, and on the other, the presence of alternative stakeholder perspectives that diverge from dominant discourses and contribute to political polarisation on AI-related issues such as facial recognition. Our study sheds light on how AI framing can highlight dominant and alternative narratives and visions and may contribute to the consolidation of socio-technical imaginaries in the French public sphere.

Volume 24 • Issue 02 • 2025 • Science Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Science Communication & AI)

Dec 09, 2024 Article

How should scientists act? Assessing public perceptions of scientists and scientific practices and their implications for science communication

by Thomas G. Safford and Emily H. Whitmore

Is how science is conducted legitimate? Are scientists trustworthy? Whether the public answers “yes” to these questions is critical for science communicators. We explore how social factors affect public perceptions of the practice of science, and then test how those beliefs relate to views about how scientists engage with the public and policy making. Our results show that political ideology and religiosity affect these views. However, more importantly, respondents' concerns about the integrity of the scientific process are the strongest predictor of views about scientists' behavior, providing a focus area for future communication efforts in support of science-based decision making.

Volume 23 • Issue 08 • 2024