A STUDY ON PUBLIC INTEREST AND SATISFACTION ON ASTRONOMY

Abstract

Astronomy is an area of science that motivates young people to interpret phenomena that occur in space. Satisfaction and interest in astronomy may vary according to sociocultural factors. Some studies suggest that satisfaction and interest in the sciences are related to academic performance, career choice, civic participation, happiness and well-being. Based on one of the audiences identified by Burns and collaborators (school-age participants), in this study we tried to better understand the causes of interest in participating in Astronomy activities and the source of satisfaction in this participation. The study focused on 41 participants (sample of volunteers) who enrolled in the "Space Academy" program, included in the “Summer in Project” section of the Junior University of University of Porto. Questionnaires were applied and interviews were conducted with 4 of the participants to answer the research questions. The program's activities were implemented for 1 week, following the dialogic model focused on promoting interaction with scientific practices, data collection and analysis, prototype construction and project development. The results suggest that the causes of interest in Astronomy derive from both intrinsic motivations and external causes identified in this study. As for the sources of satisfaction, it was found that these are not limited only to the theme of Astronomy, and equally relevant socio-scientific parameters were identified. There is also evidence for a possible relationship of parity between satisfaction and interest in participating in astronomy activities and awareness and understanding of science, the latter being referenced by Burns in the vowel analogy. These results provide relevant information regarding the formulation of activities for the promotion of science that effectively attract the participation of young people.