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Students’ Perceptions of the Long-Term Impact of Attending a “CSI Science Camp”

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An Erratum to this article was published on 12 November 2016

Abstract

A science summer camp is a popular type of informal science experience for youth. While there is no one model of a science camp, these experiences typically allow for more focused and in-depth exploration of different science domains and are usually hands-on and participatory. The goal of this research was to examine the impact of a short science camp program approximately 1 year after students attended the camp. Overall, the results revealed that attending a 2-day forensic science camp had a positive and continuing influence on the participants. Students’ science self-efficacy increased immediately after attending the camp and remained higher than pre-camp levels approximately 1 year later. Students were able to articulate why they believed the camp had a long-term impact on their lives. Furthermore, participants attributed a higher level of engaging in additional informal STEM-related activities during the academic year as a result of attending the camp.

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Acknowledgments

This project is funded by a grant given to Arkansas State University by the National Science Foundation (NSF 05-621 Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers–ITEST).

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  1. Department of Psychology and Counseling, Arkansas State University, PO Box 1560, Jonesboro, AR, 72401, USA

    Karen L. Yanowitz

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  1. Karen L. Yanowitz
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Correspondence to Karen L. Yanowitz.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9666-9.

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Yanowitz, K.L. Students’ Perceptions of the Long-Term Impact of Attending a “CSI Science Camp”. J Sci Educ Technol 25, 916–928 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9635-3

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