Is there any correlation between the interest on television programmes with scientific content and the attitude of 4th degree Compulsory Secondary Education students toward Physics and Chemistry?: The case of El Hormiguero (Flipy’s show)

Abstract

In this paper we have performed a study, based on a statistical analysis, to determine whether there is a correlation between students who follow television programs with a scientific content and their attitude toward the subject of Physics and Chemistry. Our study focuses primarily on the section devoted to experiments in the popular Spanish TV program El Hormiguero (Flipy´s show) since it is the only TV program having science features which are followed by most of the surveyed students. We conclude that student’s interest in this kind of TV show does not correlate with choosing science in future years neither with their academic achievement in science. We have not detected any (positive or negative) influence of this TV show on student’s attitudes towards science, since it does not help to bring them «closer to science», such as it is advertised in the show.