Abstract
Textile-based crafts were used to engage young carers (under 18s providing care for another person) and accompanying adults in learning about underlying chemistry concepts, in an economically deprived area of northwest England; the region of the United Kingdom with the highest number of young carers. This science-crafts collaboration was supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund and a British Science Week Community Grant. Feedback from participants indicated strong positive impacts on interest in and understanding of chemistry and its relevance to everyday life, social benefits, and, for accompanying adults, increased confidence in engaging young people with learning about chemistry.
Young Carers in the United Kingdom
Young carers are defined in the United Kingdom as children and young people aged 5 to 17 years who provide unpaid care for family members, friends, neighbors, or others because of long-term physical or mental ill-health, disability, or problems relating to old age (Office for National Statistics, 2013). More girls than boys provide care in the United Kingdom, and doing so can have an impact on their health (Office for National Statistics, 2013). Young carers can often be “hidden”—a “significant proportion” of young carers do not disclose their circumstances to their school (Clay, Connors, Day, Gkiza, & Aldridge, 2016)—and the time needed for their caring responsibilities may limit their availability for participating in extracurricular and other informal learning activities. School breaks can be particularly challenging times for young carers, when opportunities to engage in other activities outside the home are further reduced (Clay et al., 2016).
The northwest of England had the highest number and proportion of young carers in the United Kingdom according to the 2011 census (Office for National Statistics, 2013). The Morecambe and Heysham area, where the activities described here took place, is one of the most deprived in the United Kingdom (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2015).
Aims
This project was a collaboration between Cotton On, a center for craft-based learning located in Morecambe, UK, and Science from the Start, an outreach project providing accessible informal science learning activities for groups that are traditionally underserved in this area. These two organizations have successfully collaborated previously in combining embedded science learning and engagement with craft-based activities.
The overarching aim of this project was to engage young carers with chemistry topics through learning embedded in craft activities, while also giving a chance to relax and socialize. An additional aim was to support the adults accompanying them in building confidence in engaging their children or young people with learning about science and chemistry. The specific project objectives were to (1) provide engaging, fun textiles and chemistry learning to young carers from the Morecambe and Heysham district; (2) support their accompanying adults in engaging with the learning of the young carers; and (3) facilitate social connections and support, and overall well-being, for the people involved.
Twelve weekly sessions, including the English school summer break, were delivered during 2017 and funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund. This built on a previous series of six sessions, funded by the British Science Association through a Community Grant for British Science Week 2017. The format of the sessions was developed during this series and provided insight into the target audience. While textiles as a subject traditionally appeals to girls (Department for Education and Skills, 2007), providing a useful opportunity to widen the appeal of chemistry and its practical applications to a sector of students, young female carers, who may not see science and science careers as “for them” and relevant to their lives, this series demonstrated that boys would also significantly engage; the group comprised approximately 60% girls and 40% boys. White working-class boys are another demographic particularly relevant to the Morecambe and Heysham area (Lancaster City Council, 2012) and which can also see science as “not for them” (Archer, DeWitt, & Willis, 2014). Science at school may be difficult for young carers to access for practical reasons and lack of appeal and direct relevance to their already pressured circumstances, but they may not be receiving formal support (Clay et al., 2016). By using crafting activities with a broad appeal, and offering sessions directly and specifically for young carers, the project successfully engaged this audience, with a gender-neutral approach to encourage perception of science as “for everyone” with avoidance of viewing science as “for boys” and textiles as “for girls.”
It was a condition of attendance that an adult accompanied all young carers. The presence of engaged supervising adults supported development of “science capital” of the young carers involved, as “parental” involvement is particularly important in maintaining children’s engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning and progression into STEM careers (Archer et al., 2014). In addition, the social element of these sessions was important; the project not only used textiles to embed science learning and support school and career choice progression, but additionally used collaborative learning activities to facilitate social interaction and promote well-being for a group of people who may not be able to readily access this elsewhere. Again, the first series of sessions was instrumental in demonstrating the significance of this, as participants reported that the opportunity to socialize with others in similar situations was valuable to them and facilitated peer-to-peer support and improved well-being.
The sessions were provided free of charge, to remove any barriers that may be presented by cost in this economically deprived area; the location of Cotton On Studio itself has an Index of Multiple Deprivation score of 58.71, with any score above 34.18 falling in the most deprived quintile (University of Oxford, 2017). The venue was fully accessible with disabled parking provision close by, making it suitable for participants with disabilities; a factor particularly relevant for this audience. Each session lasted for 1 hour and was held on a Saturday, to maximize opportunities for care relief cover and avoid interfering with schooling.
Using Textile-Based Crafts as a Vehicle for Informal Science Learning
Crafting techniques employed during the sessions included chromatography, wet felting, resist techniques, a range of dye and color transfer methodologies, removal of color, and a variety of printing techniques. Alongside practical tuition in completing the crafting activities, the chemistry concepts underlying these methods were discussed and participants received worksheets containing accessible, relevant information relating to this, with space for their own notes or drawings. Exploring the understanding of chemistry necessary to successfully plan for and use these techniques, through enjoyable, applied learning, was intended to widen the appeal of further study of chemistry and demonstrate the applicability of this knowledge for careers and day-to-day activities not necessarily seen as traditional science roles or activities.
Chemistry is an inherent component of the processes involved in textile-based crafts and understanding how to use and adjust them to create different effects and products, linking into Generic Learning Outcomes (Arts Council England, 2014). Chemistry knowledge embedded included, for example, structures of materials used, reactions between substrates and dyes, removal of fibers and color, chemistry of color, components of dyes, changing materials, reaction rates, pH of solutions, dissolution and precipitation, and phase changes. Participants took their creations home, supporting a sense of reward and achievement and as a practical reminder of their learning.
While chemistry topics were broadly linked to the National Curriculum at Key Stages 2, 3, and 4 to support school learning and interest in science, the sessions were delivered in an informal learning style. In contrast to science education in formal education settings, this is undertaken voluntarily and participants do not necessarily realize that they are learning while engaged (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996; Wellcome Trust, 2012). During sessions, crafting activities and associated science learning experienced by each individual young carer were supported by their accompanying adult and facilitated by the delivery of information and guidance rather than being taught in a formal education style.
The information sheets provided outlined the scientific basis of the crafting technique applied. These were used and developed in the first series of six sessions, and proved very popular with the young carers involved as they provided information in accessible language and sentence structure, with a simple, clean format deliberately dissimilar to school handouts and allowing them space to take notes or draw as they wished, giving them ownership of their learning. The science behind the activity was explained as the activity progressed, providing a topic for discussion among participants. The process of carrying out the craft activity gave context for the learning, and opportunity to experiment to explore the concepts described and practical application of the newly acquired knowledge. The chemistry learning was thus embedded within the context of textile-based crafts, aiding in consolidation of learning.
Parental and community involvement in children’s learning is more effective if it engages families and is linked to development of specific knowledge and skills (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). Parents and carers can significantly influence children’s engagement with STEM learning, from an early age, and their progression into STEM careers (Archer et al., 2014; Ruby, Kenner, Jessel, Gregory, & Arju, 2008). However, some parents lack the necessary confidence in their own knowledge to make full use of their skills in educating their children, and they should be supported (Ball, 1994). Therefore, accompanying adults were fully integrated into the sessions, participating in activities and taking primary responsibility for supporting the young carers, with facilitation and guidance provided by project staff.
Evaluation of Participant Feedback
Feedback was collected from participants using questionnaires at the start, middle, and end of the course of sessions featuring measures such as Likert-type scales and word association capture, and observational feedback collected by project staff. Responses were analyzed for evidence of longitudinal attitude and skills changes, positive social impacts, and Generic Learning Outcomes (Arts Council England, 2014), in relation to the project objectives.
The target number of participants was 20, to reflect that this was a small, potentially “hidden” community with access barriers including having a suitable adult available to accompany under 16s. Records of attendance were kept and the target reach was achieved, although not all participants were able to attend all 12 sessions, due to barriers experienced by this audience.
The sessions reached young carers aged 5 to 16 years, plus accompanying adults in age ranges from 20-29 to 50-59. Other demographics are shown in Table 1. There was a positive level of male participation in an activity area (textiles and craft) that is recognized as traditionally appealing to women and girls. All under 18s present were young carers; the adult accompanying them was not necessarily the person for whom they provide care.
Characteristics of Participants.
At the start and end of the course, young carers answered the question “how much do you enjoy chemistry at school?” on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (favorite subject). Responses are outlined in Table 2.
Answers to “How Much Do You Enjoy Chemistry at School?” at the Start and End of the Course (1 = Not at All, 5 = Favorite Subject).
At the start of the course a range of enjoyment was exhibited, with a normal distribution and majority in the “neutral” range. Although the number of participants answering 4 had reduced at the end of the course, there was a clear shift toward higher enjoyment, with 5 (favorite subject) now the highest scoring category, and no participants now reporting that they did not enjoy chemistry at school at all. Only one participant reported enjoying chemistry at school less (by 1 point on the scale), and observational data indicated that this was due to aspects of the school set up that were disagreeable to the participant rather than the subject itself. Three participants reported no increase; these three already enjoyed chemistry, with two reporting it as their favorite subject overall. One participant moved 3 points on the scale (2 to 5) and the average increase in enjoyment across the participants for whom this was relevant was 1 point on the scale. Observationally, it was recorded that this was due to increased appreciation of chemistry and its relevance to everyday life and areas outside the classroom, and ability to see how it can be applied outside of prescriptive school experiments.
Self-assessed knowledge of chemistry at the start and end of the course was also evaluated. Young carers answered this question at the start of the course (with 1 = very low and 5 = very high) as shown in Table 3.
Young Carers’ Self-Assessed Chemistry Knowledge at the Start and End of the Course.
At the start of the course the majority of participants ranked their knowledge as “low” or “OK,” with none assessing their knowledge as “very low” or “very high.” On completion of the course, scores demonstrated a marked increase in self-assessed knowledge, with all participants rating their knowledge as at least “OK,” and a clear majority now rating their knowledge as “very high.” Furthermore, no participants reported a decrease in knowledge. One participant who reported no increase already rated their knowledge as “high,” and of the others, five moved up 1 point on the scale (two of these initially reported a rank of 4, moving to 5), five moved up 2 points, and two moved 3 points (both from 2 to 5); the average increase was 1.6 points.
At both the start and end of the workshops, rankings provided by the young carers demonstrated a positive correlation between knowledge and enjoyment of chemistry at school. All young carers reported that they enjoyed the workshops, with 76.9% stating that they enjoyed them “a lot.” They specifically stated that they enjoyed the course because they got to “try different things,” it was “made easy,” they got to “learn about science in crafts” and this was delivered in a way that was “not like school.” They appreciated being “treated like adults” and being able to socialize with other carers (“who know what it’s like”). Word association capture results showed that when asked to provide words they associate with chemistry (at the mid-point of the course), young carers provided words with strong links to the course—while some of these such as mixing, reactions, processes, formula, and particle would also be associated with “school” chemistry, others such as craft, color, change, chromatography, recipe, water, and materials can be directly related to elements of the workshops they had already undertaken. All words given had clear links to chemistry (including “craft,” in the context of chemistry learning through craft workshops). Observational data collected indicated that all young carers said that they had learnt something from the workshops they participated in, and were able to specify examples, such as elements of materials chemistry they had learnt from using the providing sheets and undertaking the craft activity, or relating abstract concepts such as dissolution rates to their observations of processes within the craft activity.
Accompanying adults were asked at the start of the course what they hoped to gain. They reported they wished to gain knowledge, skills, ideas and confidence, have fun, learn, make friends and do things together, and be able to support their children in learning and social contexts. These concepts were common to all adults with no “anomalous” hopes stated, with gain in confidence the strongest, followed by gain in knowledge. At the end of the course, adults were asked what they felt they had gained. They responded that they had gained confidence, knowledge, understanding and insight, skills, support, resources and ideas, and friends (Figure 1).
(A) Word cloud reflecting gains adults wished to make at the start of the course. (B) Gains adults felt they had made at the end of the course.
Again, these gains were common to all participants and consistent between them. Knowledge and confidence were the two strongest gains, followed by skills and support.
Adults were asked at the beginning and end of the course to rate their knowledge of chemistry and confidence in engaging their young person in learning about chemistry (1 = very low, 5 = very high). Their responses are given in Tables 4 and 5.
Adults’ Self-Assessed Chemistry Knowledge at the Start and End of the Course.
Adults’ Self-Assessed Confidence in Engaging Their Children/Young People in Learning About Chemistry at the Start and End of the Course.
Starting rankings indicated low self-assessed levels of chemistry knowledge, with a clear increase in all adult participants at the end of the course. All reported a knowledge increase of at least 1 point (three adults, all moving from 3 to 4 on the scale) with two moving up 2 points (from 1 to 3 and 2 to 4), and two moving 3 points (both from 2 to 5).
No adults felt that they had high or very high confidence at the start, with the majority feeling that it was low or very low. Their closing responses show a clear benefit of participating on their confidence in engaging their young people with learning about chemistry. As with the correlation between knowledge and enjoyment at school for the young carers, there was a positive correlation between knowledge and confidence in engaging for the adults. All adults showed an increase of either 2 (four participants: two moving from 1 to 3, one moving from 2 to 4, and one moving 3 to 5) or 3 (three participants all moving from 2 to 5) points on the scale.
Both the young carers and the accompanying adults reported that they had gained social connections and support through attending the groups. All young carers and adults except for one reported that they enjoyed the course; the adult who did not report enjoyment said he felt neutral. This was because he had no personal interest in the activities himself, but he also reported that his child enjoyed it and that was what mattered; there was still a positive outcome for this participant. As well as the gains reported above, adults stated that the best things about the course for them were seeing their children benefit, doing things together, making friends and meeting new people, trying new things, doing chemistry as well as crafts, and siblings with different interests finding something they could do together. All felt that their young people had benefited from taking part in the course, by being able to try new things, gaining confidence, making friends and meeting/interacting with new people, improving social skills and reducing shyness, improving engagement with science, understanding everyday chemistry principles, and “no longer thinking chemistry is boring.” This indicates successful facilitation of social connections and support, plus improvements in overall well-being.
In terms of Generic Learning Outcomes, the above demonstrates positive outcomes in all areas for all participants: knowledge and understanding, skills, behavior and progression, enjoyment inspiration and creativity, and attitudes and values. Knowledge, understanding, enjoyment, and skills were all specifically mentioned in feedback and observations, with positive changes in behavior, progression, inspiration, creativity, attitudes, and values all described.
Conclusions
Feedback demonstrated clear positive impacts for understanding, knowledge of and confidence in chemistry learning, parental engagement with children’s learning, and social and peer-to-peer benefits. Textile-based crafts provided an effective medium for delivering these positive outcomes, and present great potential for future development of informal science learning provision in the community.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the British Science Association, without which this work would not have been possible.
