Children's experiences of science beyond schools: An exploration of children and young people’s experiences of, and attitudes to, learning science outside the school environment using children’s voice approaches, framed within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The curriculum in Scotland is defined as the “totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people throughout their education, wherever they are being educated” (Scottish Government, 2008). This agenda of recognising learning where it happens and ensuring that partners effectively support and progress the learning of children and young people in sciences has been identified as being of increasing importance in Scotland (Education Scotland, 2012).

Whilst in Scotland, education places the ‘child at the centre’, research into children’s voice in primary schools in Scotland suggests that this is frequently a ‘tokenistic’ process (Tisdall, 2007, Sher et al., 2010). The author will provide an insight into an innovative approach to exploring children’s views on science experiences outwith normal lessons, within a framework informed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and explore the development and use of a research instrument with children and young people aged 8-12.