Understanding the Wonders of Science through Creative Play

AbstractThe need to make science appealing to students is one of several challenges that surface continually for science teachers in Malaysia due to the significant decline of interest in science. An interest in the scientific world can be developed at a young age and a connection has been found between positive experiences gained through playful and creative science-based activities and the development of interest in science. This study explores the idea of nurturing interest in science through the creative integration of performance art and multimedia for Malaysian students at the primary school level. The objective of this paper is to examine how creating animations for a presentation could influence the science learning of primary students. Through a collaborative creative project, students are encouraged to create stories on their own based on their exploration and understanding of science concepts. These stories are created through an active learning process of script writing, storyboarding, creating clay models, and taking digital images to finally produce an animation, which was then used as part of a play performed in front of their peers and teachers. Findings in this study suggest that the ‘ArtsMedia’ science project has enabled students to explore science concepts creatively through play which actually drives and sustain their interest to understand the science concept being studied. Therefore, the integration of performing arts and multimedia as a creative way of learning science has the potential to empower students to develop their own understanding of science concepts