The role of Science and Technology Museums in Dissemination of Science: Case study: " Iran science and technology museum's activities"

Science and Technology museums do special activities based on their goals as a research institute in regard with disseminating and popularization of science. In this article, the role of Iran science and technology museum in popularization of science by considering the activities of themuseum regarding to education, learning, popularizing and transferring scientific experiences to visitors has been introduced and examined.To study the activities of Iran Science and Technology Museum, with the approach of popularization of science, a questionnaire was randomly given to 100 visitors in the first half of 2014. Museum activities such as educational tours by experts, scientific learning in science and technology museum, the effectiveness of visits on visitors’ learning, interactive role of the museum’s objects in popularization of scientific concepts, chance of having scientific questions and answers about museum’s objects, increasing natural history information by visiting the hall of indigenous and modern technologies, familiarity with celebrities in different fields of knowledge, their works and inventions, scientific information about museum’s objects such as catalogue, brochure, receiving scientific information through animation and documentaries, holding workshops, seminars and scientific conferences for dissemination of science, were the mentioned materials in this survey. More than 80 percent of respondents have chosen IRSTM as a good place for popularization of science and scientific notions. In this regard one of the most important activities is the method of education and learning in science and technology museum which leads to a practical training during visit.