scc 2014 - the people, the people, the people: engaging under-served audiences
DESCRIPTION
He aha te mea nui o te ao What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata It is the people, it is the people, it is the people This Maori proverb emphasises that people are the most important thing in the world: a concept we will explore in this session serving as a reminder of the importance of tailoring engagement towards your audience’s needs. We will present findings from research commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, which looked at reaching young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, alongside research commissioned by the British Science Association exploring how to include under-represented audiences in National Science and Engineering Week. Comparisons with other cultures will be presented by the University of the West of England, with a case study of engagement with Maori in a New Zealand science festival. Speakers: Mat Hickman (Wellcome Trust), Hema Teji (British Science Association), Laura Fogg Rogers (University of the West of England), Chair: Karen Folkes (BIS)TRANSCRIPT
The People, the People, the People
Engaging under-served audiences
Mat Hickman - @mathickmanHema TejiLaura Fogg-Rogers - @laurafoggrogersChair: Karen Folkes - @Karen_Afolk
#SciComm14 #SciComm14
Introduction
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Hema Teji Manager of Regional Programmes [email protected]
2014•Event estimate, 2,363
•Attendees estimate, 620,000
•Resource downloads, 78,342
•Home website page views , 104,000
www.britishscienceassociation.org
National Science & Engineering Week
2013 Kick Start Grants
• 103,370 pupils and students were involved in NSEW activities
•48% high proportion of pupils eligible for school meals
•34% high proportion of pupils from BAME backgrounds
•18% were in remote and rural locations
Audience development
1. Literature review
2. Focus groups
3. Case studies of
best practice
4. Fieldwork sampling
www.britishscienceassociation.org
• People enduring socio-economic
hardship regardless of age, gender or
ethnicity
• Specific ethnic groups – Pakistani,
Bangladeshi, Black British
• Women and Girls
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Literature review
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Fieldwork sampling
Categories Groups
Affluent Achievers
Lavish Lifestyles
Executive Wealth
Mature Money
Rising ProsperityCity Sophisticates
Career Climbers
Comfortable Communities
Countryside Communities
Successful Suburbs
Steady Neighbourhoods
Comfortable Seniors
Starting Out
Financially Stretched
Student Life
Modest Means
Striving Families
Poorer Pensioners
Urban AdversityYoung HardshipStruggling EstatesDifficult Circumstances
Each ACORN Category is sub-divided into a number of Groups and subsequent Types which provide even greater detail and granularity. To find detailed descriptions of ACORN Categories, Groups and Types, please visit http://acorn.caci.co.uk/ and follow the link ‘ACORN User Guide’. ACORN Categories were assigned based on respondents’ postcode data
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Fieldwork sampling: headline findings
On average, 68% of respondents
were attending in families with children, in particular with 5-11 year olds.
On average, 36% were motivated to
attend by children’s education.
14% were brought by others and a significant proportion were ‘just passing’.
Respondents were most commonly aged 35-44 (28%), or
25-34 (22%).
Urban Prosperity and Financially Stretched respondents were more likely than the
other segments to be in the 16-24 age range. (14%-15%)
The Urban Adversity and Financially Stretched segments were more likely than
other segments to be attending with friends
(16%)
8% of the Urban Adversity segment was
from non-white ethnic groups (slightly higher than the proportion amongst other
segments)
Hands on activities are of prime
interest to Urban Adversity, followed by
Festivals/ Family Days and
Exhibitions / Displays
Open Days / Tours are also a
key driver of Urban Adversity attendance
Word of mouth was the most
influential promotional channel for all
segments, followed by NSEW leaflet/poster and passing by the
venue
On average, 73% of respondents (66% of
the Urban Adversity segment) were first-time attendees at National Science &
Engineering Week
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Fieldwork sampling: survey respondents’ ACORN composition
NSEW 2014 Survey Respondents’ ACORN Composition
ACORN Category
% Survey Respondents
% GB Population
Difference INDEX
Affluent Achievers 32.3 22.6 9.7 143
Rising Prosperity 7.6 9.0 -1.4 84
Comfortable Communities 23.7 27.1 -3.5 87
Financially Stretched 24.8 24.1 0.7 103
Urban Adversity 11.7 17.2 -5.5 68
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Fieldwork sampling: ethnicityNSEW 2014 Survey Respondents’ Ethnicity
White Mixed
Asian / Asian British
Black / Black British Chinese Other
Affluent Achievers 97.1% 1.7% 0.6% NO DATA NO DATA 0.6%
Rising Prosperity 95.0% 2.5% NO DATA NO DATA 2.5% NO DATA
Comfortable Communities 96.8% NO DATA 3.2% NO DATA NO DATA NO DATA
Financially Stretched 93.8% 2.3% 1.5% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8%
Urban Adversity 92.0% 3.2% 3.2% 1.6% NO DATA NO DATA
ALL 95.5% 1.7% 1.7% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4%
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Next steps:The engagement cycle 6-step process to drive engagement
Who do you think are your under- served audiences?
Why do you think you should engage with them?
www.britishscienceassociation.org
Activity
Experiments in Engagement
Engaging with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
Mat Hickman | Wellcome Trust
@WTeducation
[newsletter link]
Practical outcomes•A better understanding of the scope of informal learning:
• understanding• behaviour• attitudes
•Better understanding of how to evaluate the impact of informal science learning•Best practice in reaching deprived learners schools and families•Best practice in linking informal and formal learning.
Underserved groups
• Under 5s• Adults• Lower socio-
economic groups
• Commissioned follow-up research with young people to explore what they would most engage with or value
Methodology
Interviews with: •young people aged 9 to 19 in schools or youth organisations•teachers/youth workers responsible for the young people•parents
• Interviews in• London• Birmingham• Yorkshire and• Glasgow
• Total of• 93 young people• 16 teachers/youth
workers and• 16 parents
KEY FINDINGS
Diversity
There is a large diversity present within low SES families, ranging from those highly engaged, active and aspirational to those very disengaged.
But there are a number of emergent themes:•Ethnicity•Family make-up•Level of parental support•Influence of community and school environment
Attitudes to Science
“[Science] makes me feel bubbly, I don’t know why!”
“I wrote ‘half and half’. It depends what you are doing.”
I don’t really like science to be honest, but I love experiments
I like doing practicals, I don’t like writing a lot but I like doing practicals. Doing it yourself rather than watching.
The future does depend on science
“It’s dull, proper dull.”
“I don’t like it because I don’t know the words they use.”
“I want to be a doctor but I don’t like science,that’s so weird!”
Attitudes to Science
“[Science] makes me feel bubbly, I don’t know why!”
“I wrote ‘half and half’. It depends what you are doing.”
I don’t really like science to be honest, but I love experiments
I like doing practicals, I don’t like writing a lot but I like doing practicals. Doing it yourself rather than watching.
The future does depend on science
“It’s dull, proper dull.”
“I don’t like it because I don’t know the words they use.”
“I want to be a doctor but I don’t like science,that’s so weird!”
Attitudes to Science
“[Science] makes me feel bubbly, I don’t know why!”
“I wrote ‘half and half’. It depends what you are doing.”
I don’t really like science to be honest, but I love experiments
I like doing practicals, I don’t like writing a lot but I like doing practicals. Doing it yourself rather than watching.
The future does depend on science
“It’s dull, proper dull.”
“I don’t like it because I don’t know the words they use.”
“I want to be a doctor but I don’t like science,that’s so weird!”
Attitudes to Science
“[Science] makes me feel bubbly, I don’t know why!”
“I wrote ‘half and half’. It depends what you are doing.”
I don’t really like science to be honest, but I love experiments
I like doing practicals, I don’t like writing a lot but I like doing practicals. Doing it yourself rather than watching.
The future does depend on science
“It’s dull, proper dull.”
“I don’t like it because I don’t know the words they use.”
“I want to be a doctor but I don’t like science,that’s so weird!”
Attitudes to Science
“[Science] makes me feel bubbly, I don’t know why!”
“I wrote ‘half and half’. It depends what you are doing.”
I don’t really like science to be honest, but I love experiments
I like doing practicals, I don’t like writing a lot but I like doing practicals. Doing it yourself rather than watching.
The future does depend on science
“It’s dull, proper dull.”
“I don’t like it because I don’t know the words they use.”
“I want to be a doctor but I don’t like science,that’s so weird!”
Influencers on attitudes to science
• Gender• Ethnicity• Age• School environment• Role of the science
teacher• Parental attitudes to
science• Religion
When I was in years 7 and 8 we dissected so many things but in year 10 its just boring. It’s just work, work, work, work. Tests, books, you revise that, you do a test, books again. Even the practicals lead to a test!
Engagement with activities
• Wide range• Fewer structured leisure time activities
• After school clubs
• Sport• Unlikely to visit museums and galleries, heritage sites
and public libraries• Few young people, particularly in secondary schools,
visited museums etc., even at weekends or holidays • The number of free or low cost activities outside of
school was low, or unattractive to young people
Engagement with science
• Most did not mention science-related activities• Television is the main source of in-home informal
science experiences• Visits to, e.g. science centres, typically arranged by
schools• Visits tended to be for younger children• Tended to be one-off
• Repeat visits rare, except for younger siblings
“If you do it for one you have to do it for the others, and we can’t afford that.” (Parent)
Influencers on activities they do
• Friendship• Enjoyment• Being in control• Increased self esteem • Incentives to participate• Parental support/family involvement
If my friends didn’t go to the YMCA then I wouldn’t go on my own, don’t want to be billy no mates
Success breeds success, they keep coming because they are doing well. If they fail then they don’t want to come back. These kids have enough knocks in life to deal with.
Recommendations
1. Know your audience and objectives
2. Engage a champion and be mindful of family influence
• Not celebrities
3. Ensure the activity is young person-led
• Not too academic
4. Ensure the activity is relevant and pitched at the right level
5. Invest in long-term relationships for maximum impact
Recommendations
6. Make it practical and interactive
7. Facilitate socialising with friends
8. Be financially and geographically accessible
• In the community, not just giving ‘access’ to your activity
9. Celebrate and reward success
10.Communicate carefully and through trusted channels
• Not science! Not celebrities
Recommendations
2. A desire for an online central resource system for sharing informal science knowledge and tools was expressed
1. Funding processes need to be developed in a way that allows activities to be led by young people
WHAT’S NEXT…
Activity 1. Know your audience and objectives
2. Engage a champion and be mindful of family influence
3. Ensure the activity is young person-led
4. Ensure the activity is relevant and pitched at the right level
5. Invest in long-term relationships for maximum impact
6. Make it practical and interactive
7. Facilitate socialising with friends
8. Be financially and geographically accessible
9. Celebrate and reward success
10.Communicate carefully and through trusted channels
How will you engage with your underserved audiences?
Know your Audience!
Social constructionism
Genis Carreras, 2011
VS
Rangahau Māori
Positivism: Science is Truth
The truth is out there
Tangata whenuaPeople of the land knowledgeVS
Social constructionism: we co-construct the truth
Brain Day
• Science festival format
• 3000 attendees
• 80% rate lectures as very
appealing and most useful
Co-construction of the brain
Māori make up 2% of the audience, but 17% of the NZ population
WHY?For Māori, the brain is tapu (sacred) as the seat of the soul
Scientific research is done by Westerners with a Western ideology of scientific detachment
Research is viewed as done ON Māori, not WITH or BY them
Health literacy
Engagement is essential to:raise aspirations in scienceincrease involvement in researchreduce health inequalities
Māori are one of NZ’s most deprived social groups disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease and diabetes
Teenagers as agents of change
Students as Researchers
Māori Advisory Board
Whaea advisor
Six schools, 44 students
11 scientist mentors
100 family members
Feedback in an oral culture
Consider alternative methods of evaluation to fit audience needs - video messages suited our storytelling cultures
Engaging with under-served audiences
Issues
Different ways of viewing the worldHistorical mistrust of science and scientistsPower imbalancesHealth inequalities
Learning points
Respect other culturesFind gatekeepers or bridges into the communityCo-construct your meaning togetherFind a topic that motivates you both and work towards changing it together
Breakout
1. Evaluation
2. Partnership
3. Institutional change