Informal Learning at School. Science Fairs in Basic Schools

Abstract. The work herein reports on the implementation of science fairs in a systematic way in basic schools. In particular we will present the second edition of the annual Science Fair at basic school Externato Maria Auxiliadora, in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, focusing on the evolution advised by the evaluation of the previous edition of the science fair. We will stress that it was intended to give continuity to the research project on science fairs of the previous year improving, based on past conclusions, some aspects like: the age group of the participants was enlarged to ages 10 to 15; there was a major effort to engage parents and the whole school community in the process and in the development/construction of the projects to the science fair; to the teachers involved in the project was assigned an increased set of weekly hours to give support to the works realization. The participation of the students was not mandatory and it had no weight in the student’s formal evaluation. The results suggested that the whole school benefited from the enlargement of the age group of the participants in the event, from the involvement of parents and from the systematic involvement of schoolteachers.. We concluded again that the Science Fair contributed effectively to an increase of the student’s interest on scientific subjects