Exploring family flow learning: A study of experience and learning outcomes in a science museum makerspace, Thailand

Abstract

Visiting informal scientific learning environments, such as science museums and science centres, holds the potential to influence various aspects of visitor’s experiences and outcomes. The dimensions encompassed within this framework comprise cognition, affect, attitude, interest, motivation, and behaviour, all of which hold significance in the context of science and the process of acquiring knowledge. The Maker movement represents a notable and influential trend that exerts a deep and far-reaching influence on the process of digital transformation within educational systems and practises on a global scale. This study investigated the experiences of families (herein referred to as family visitors) who participated in the NSM Enjoy Makerspace activity at the National Science Museum of Thailand. The objectives of this study were (a) to observe family visitors learning through NSM Enjoy Makerspace activities at the National Science Museum, Thailand, (b) to describe the factors that encourage family visitors to learn as a maker through NSM Enjoy Makerspace, (c) to study family visitors learning outcomes through NSM Enjoy Makerspace, and (d) to explore family visitors motivation, knowledge, skills, inspiration, and creativity from NSM Enjoy Makerspace via the focus on family learning, experiential learning, flow and immersion and STEM learning. Personally, I believe that the makerspace movement emphasizes creating, designing, and building through various technologies that use, for example, electronics and digial fabrications. This involves using technologies such as 3D printers, accessibility technologies such as iPad, as well as using democratic innovatiton and production processes. The finding of this research will help to identify elements, including maker spaces that support and encourage family visitors to learn across activities. The insights gleaned from this research may be used by museum employees, curators, education teams, and outside educators to promote STEM and family learning. The research used a multi-methods approach to study the experiences and learning outcomes of family visitors to the NSM Enjoy Makerspace, which incorporates questionnaires, site observations, and interviews with visitors. The main activity for observation was a Syringe Rocket activity, in which participants constructed rockets from plastic syringes. Data was collected from families using questionnaires, observations, and semi-structured interviews. Findings illustrated that the makerspace was viewed as a positive learning activity, promoting creative learning and interaction between family members and between children in different families. Results illustrated positive perceptions of the learning activity and learning engagement. The conclusion of the research is that the NSM Enjoy Makerspace makes a positive contribution to family learning through the development of collaborative flow in family learning situations. The study offers several recommendations for the design of museum makerspaces based on the findings. There are also some limitations, including limitations on the age groups and families included and focus on a single activity. The study makes a positive contribution to understanding experiential learning in makerspaces by illustrating how family learning and cooperative group learning occur within the space and ultimately promote interest in STEM activities.