Relationship of Science Festival Programming and Policy Learning to Attitude Change in Rural Student Participants

Abstract

The enduring disparities in educational resources between urban and rural communities have significantly hindered the development of scientific literacy and engagement among rural student populations. This research investigates the complex mechanisms through which targeted science festival programming, deliberately integrated with policy learning modules, facilitates profound attitude changes toward science and technology in rural students. By adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study evaluates the cognitive and affective transformations experienced by secondary school participants attending a specialized regional science festival designed to bridge the gap between abstract scientific concepts and local socio-economic realities. The programming emphasizes interactive exhibitions alongside structured deliberations on science policy, thereby exposing students not only to empirical phenomena but also to the governance, ethical considerations, and public administration of scientific endeavors. Data collected through extensive pre-intervention and post-intervention psychometric assessments, augmented by in-depth semi-structured interviews, reveal highly significant positive shifts in participants perceived self-efficacy, epistemic curiosity, and civic responsibility regarding scientific issues. The findings demonstrate that embedding policy learning within informal science education catalyzes a deeper contextual understanding, enabling rural youth to perceive science as a relevant, accessible, and malleable tool for regional development. This paper provides critical insights for educational policymakers, curriculum developers, and festival organizers seeking to democratize science engagement and foster a scientifically literate, policy-aware generation in historically marginalized geographical areas.