The Influence of Family Behavior on Family-Child Interaction and Children’s Science Learning in Informal Learning Environments: An Example of the Sasalı Natural Life Park

ABSTRACT: This study has been done by using, the case study method, one of the quantitative methods, to determine the behaviours of the families with children that come from informal learning environments to Sasalı Natural Life Park and what type of effects it has on science learning of the children. 26 families (26 mothers, 24 fathers, 47 children) attended the study voluntarily according to convenience sampling, one of the improbable sampling methods. Families’ behavior during their visit, their way of interaction with their children and how long they stayed in each part of the was followedwithby the researcher and taken down notes to observation notebook as the necessary notes. After completing the visit, interviews were done with the parents and children by determining an appropriate environment. During the interviews, 6 open ended questions were asked to the parents and children. The answers, which were obtained from the interviews, and the notes, which was taken with observations, were evaluated by using frequency spectrum analysis by the researcher. When the obtained data were analyzed, while their visit to Sasalı Natural Life Park, it was seen that the families -asking questions, explaining and describing, trying to answer the children’s questions without ignoring and reading the information signs- were in more interaction with their children and the children learnt new information and didn’t have difficulty in the learning process.
KEY WORDS: Informal learning environment, Family behaviours, Family-child interaction