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Abstract

The question, "What constitutes a reasonable, useful agenda for research into science learning in out-of-school, free-choice environments?" has surfaced with increasing frequency over the past 10 years or so. One event that helped move the agenda forward was the National Science Foundation-funded conference, "Public Institutions for Personal Learning: Understanding the Long-term Impact of Museums," held in Annapolis in 1994. The proceedings of this conference, published by the American Association of Museums (Falk & Dierking, 1995), reflected a large step forward in setting out the research issues and questions involved. Although focused on museums (a generic term including all kinds of museums, botanical gardens, aquaria, zoos, and science and other interpretative centers), the issues discussed are applicable to a wide range of non-museum contexts. The Annapolis conference was conceived as a forum for frontline researchers in a variety of fields representing the physical, social, and personal dimensions of learning. The goal was to discuss how the thinking and modalities of their disciplines might shed insights into the nature of learning and be used to define and lay out a long-term research agenda in museums. At about the same time, a small group of science museum practitioners held several meetings under the auspices of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Institute of Museum Studies (IMS) to start thinking about a research agenda in their area of expertise. The results of the think tank meetings were published in six successive ASTC newsletters during 1996 (and are now available at http://www.astc.org/resource/educator/educmain.htm#theories).

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... Although this evidence indicates that students are likely to academically and personally benefit from participation in science outside of school, research thus far has largely focused on structured forms of participation, such as science competitions, after-school programs, and summer camps (e.g., Chan et al., 2020;Gonsalves et al., 2013;Young et al., 2017). These structured programs offer students learning opportunities that are complementary to their in-school learning and have been shown to be associated with increased interest, enjoyment, and achievement in science at school (Braund & Reiss, 2006;Fallik et al., 2013;Rennie et al., 2003). However, significantly less research has examined the benefits of participating in unstructured out-of-school activities (Dabney et al., 2012;Dou et al., 2019;Maltese et al., 2014); these activities being ones that do not involve a formal and scaffolded curriculum and can be completed independently by the student (Dabney et al., 2012). ...
... Finally, out-of-school science activities vary widely in their focus, such that they may focus on topics and skills in more depth than is possible in-school or on topics and skills which are not included in the in-school curriculum (Noam et al., 2020). There is an array of out-of-school science activities in which students can be involved and the location of these activities can span schools, museums, community centers, libraries, and the home (Price et al., 2019;Rennie et al., 2003). ...
... We hypothesize that the optimal participation profile (reflecting high levels of interest) is likely to be most positively associated with aspirations and achievement, and that the minimal participation profile (reflecting low levels of interest) is likely to be the most negatively associated. Researchers have highlighted the hands-on and authentic interaction and connection with science as a key reason for the benefits of structured out-of-school science programs (Bell et al., 2009;Bonnette et al., 2019;Braund & Reiss, 2006;Phillips et al., 2018;Rennie et al., 2003). To the extent this applies to unstructured activities, we hypothesize that the active profile will be more positively associated with aspirations and achievement than the receptive profile. ...
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Students' out‐of‐school science participation has been identified as a factor that supports adaptive science outcomes. Researchers have largely investigated students' out‐of‐school science participation in terms of structured science activities (e.g., attending a science camp), with far less consideration of how students' involvement in unstructured out‐of‐school science activities (e.g., using at‐home science kits) may also be associated with students' aspirations and achievement in science. Research in this area has established a conceptual framework by which activities can be categorized by the activity's level of interaction (i.e., whether receptive or active). Although this conceptual framework is useful to understand the types of unstructured activities in which students engage, this research has tended to overlook the fact that students often participate in more than one out‐of‐school unstructured activity. The present investigation addressed this dearth of research by examining the extent to which different typologies of student participation in out‐of‐school receptive and active unstructured activities existed. The study also examined if these profiles were uniquely associated with students' aspirations and achievement in science above and beyond the effects of their current level of in‐school participation. The study employed a latent class analysis of N = 996 Australian high school students (40.60% girls) from six schools serving predominately above average socioeconomic status Australian high school students. Four distinct profiles of out‐of‐school participation in unstructured activities were found: Optimal, Receptive, Active, and Minimal Out‐of‐School Participation (OSP). The Optimal OSP and Receptive OSP profiles were associated with the higher aspirations (beyond students' in‐school participation), and both were significantly higher than the Active OSP and Minimal OSP profiles. Students' in‐school participation was most strongly associated with students' achievement. These findings suggest that encouraging students' participation in unstructured activities, especially receptive unstructured activities, and their in‐school participation may be viable avenues by which to improve students' science aspirations and achievement.
... Strands of science learning were adopted to informal science learning to enhancenformal learning settings (Bell et al., 2009;Fenichel & Schweingruber, 2010). There are six strands for informal science learning which try to establish meaningful learning for learners (Bell, Lewenstein, et al., 2009;Dierking et al., 2003;Fenichel & Schweingruber, 2010;Rennie et al., 2003). These strands give deep insight into the importance of science learning and science learning in informal environments. ...
... Informal science learning environments or settings varies a wide range of settings which are different from formal education setting like school. These are science museums, park, aquarium, zoo and arberetum,V shows, Internet and magazine (Falk & Needham, 2011;Rennie et al., 2003). Even though the school is one of the major sources for learners to obtain knowledge, informal science learning settings are complementary to science learning (Hofstein & Rosenfeld, 1996) . ...
Thesis
Exhibit labels are powerful tools for initiating communication between visitors and exhibits in science centers. Exhibit designs and labels can change according to the educational goals in science centers. Previous studies have focused on the aesthetic aspects of labels rather than the content, and they can hardly give us educational messages behind the exhibit labels. The purpose of this study is to investigate variations of labels used for interactive exhibits in science centers. To investigate the variations in exhibit labels, the method of content analysis was used. For this purpose, the data were obtained from six different science centers located in Turkey. Exhibit labels were examined in terms of content and the ways of providing information about the contents. The contents of labels were categorized as directions, explanations, and extensions. Each content was also analyzed and categorized according to the ways of providing information about the content. This study described these three main categories and emerging subcategories with detailed examples. The main categories and subcategories in the study were also analyzed across fields of science and science centers.
... Lifelong learning in modern societies needs new practical forms (Salmi et al., 2015), and thus, informal education has become a widely accepted and integrated part of school systems during the last three decades (Fenichel & Schweingruber, 2010;Salmi, 1993;Salmi et al., 2017). Out-of-school education forms a pedagogical link between formal education and informal learning (Braund & Reiss, 2007;Rennie et al., 2003). This dynamic nature between formal and informal learning means students develop their knowledge and skills inside and outside the classroom. ...
... Science centered pedagogy, originally pure informal learning, is nowadays often applied as a form of out-ofschool education (Salmi, 2012). Research supports the idea that science centered education has strong motivational effects (Braund & Reiss, 2007;Rennie, 2014;Rennie et al., 2003;Salmi, 2012). Its effect on learning has proven to be meaningful (Rennie, 2014;Salmi et al., 2016), and there is clear evidence that science centered pedagogy promotes a positive attitude towards STEM (Osborne & Dillon, 2008;Thuneberg et al., 2017) and STEM careers (Tan & Subramaniam, 2003). ...
Research
Full-text available
NSF Research Summary PI Lauren BIrney and the CCERS Team, NSF EHR 1839656
... In order to involve citizens in the necessary actions, a fundamental role is attributed to non-formal science education ("out-of-school" education) due to its ability to encourage interest and participation [28][29][30]. In this sense, the importance given to non-formal science education in educational research has increased significantly in recent decades [26,28,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. ...
... In order to involve citizens in the necessary actions, a fundamental role is attributed to non-formal science education ("out-of-school" education) due to its ability to encourage interest and participation [28][29][30]. In this sense, the importance given to non-formal science education in educational research has increased significantly in recent decades [26,28,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. The publication of the Second International Handbook of Science Education [30] is of outstanding importance, as it devotes eight chapters to out-of-school learning. ...
Article
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Given the seriousness of the socio-environmental situation we are facing, this study aims to contribute to the involvement of teachers in education for sustainability through the use of non-formal education, particularly the press. The main objectives of the present study are to analyse the use of the press in science education, as well as the design, implementation and evaluation of tools aimed at teachers and trainee researchers in order to encourage and promote attention to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and more specifically SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy for all) in science education. The proposals are carried out using a constructivist methodology in sessions structured in small collaborative groups. The initial results show that attention to the press is still insufficient, but that, nevertheless, the strategies designed contribute to raising awareness of the importance of SDG 7 and to the classroom treatment of the energy issue among the participants in the study who attend a Master’s degree program in secondary education teacher training (specialising in physics and chemistry) and a Master’s degree program in research in specific didactics (specialising in experimental sciences).
... Yet when set within these contexts, mobile learning research has primarily focused on children and students (Chen et al. 2003;Evans, 2008;Hedberg, 2014), and rarely on the ‗average' adult visitor. Additionally, many of the mobile learning and informal science learning studies have brought up the term engagement in conjunction with science learning, yet seldom investigated the concept of engagement itself, with few exceptions (Rennie et al. 2003;Barriault and Pearson 2010). ...
... This study takes the position that understanding engagement is a fundamental precursor to understanding learning. This has been echoed in the work of a small number of researchers who have argued for the significance of visitor engagement or highlighted a connection between learning outcomes and engagement (Rennie et al. 2003;Rennie and Johnston 2004;Barriault and Pearson 2010). Most influential in this study, has been the work of Barriault and Pearson (2010), who closely examined the meaning of engagement by presenting a framework of seven observable visitor engagement behaviours in science centres, grouped into three levels of engagement leading to learning. ...
Conference Paper
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Faculty members at an English Language Centre in the Central-North of Saudi Arabia were surveyed on their skills and attitudes using mobile technologies in teaching English as a Foreign Language. Results indicated that Faculty members had a good level of skill and positive attitudes towards the use of mobile devices in EFL teaching. A number of statistically significant effects were identified for the independent variables age and teaching experience. Moderate positive correlations were found between Faculty members‘ level of skill using mobile devices and both Faculty attitudes towards using mobile technology in English language teaching and intention to adopt mobile technology in English language teaching. Future use of ICT was predicted by attitudes towards the use of ICT. This relationship was moderated by a covariate: self-reported skills in ICT usage.
... The spontaneous teaching episodes that frequently occur during fieldwork are an expression of a special class and teacher-student dynamic. Such an environment both encourages and supports longer dialogues in which the teacher can make students familiar with scientific hypothesis formation, derivative thinking, and reasoning based on what they have in common (Rennie et al., 2003;Eshach, 2007;Lewis and O'Brien, 2012;Heras et al., 2020). ...
... However, school teachers would design interventions governed by pedagogical criteria of quality (e.g. Rennie et al., 2003). ...
Article
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This review examines the didactic use of nature experiences in science education, in primary and secondary school (7–16 years) globally. From the perspective of embodied cognition the review explores the types of nature experiences used in science teaching. Focus is on returns when we invest in nature-based science learning, such as specific academic achievements in the form of long-term effects on learning and memory and how we maximize those returns. The review also addresses challenges and barriers, such as costs and labour involved when using nature experiences in science teaching. Initially, 3,659 articles were selected, with the initial screening leading to the inclusion of 159 studies. Of these articles, 34 studies forming the corpus in this review investigated the effect of using nature experiences as an intervention. These studies are divided into four themes: content understanding, environmental education, teaching scientific methods, and costs and challenges to teaching science outdoors. Informed by the perspective of embodied cognition, the review addresses the returns in terms of learning and academic achievements, the mode of action of the intervention, the investment, costs in the form of labour, challenges, and gaps in the theoretical underpinning of the field. Based on the review, using nature experiences in science education seems promising regarding increasing content knowledge, insight into science methodologies and pro-environmental behaviours. Interventions exploiting the schoolyard, school gardens, or nearby park areas are particularly promising due to the simultaneous strengthening of local engagement at low costs. However, using nature experiences as an alternative to traditional in-class teaching depends on profound didactic deliberations and preparations, which are difficult for the individual teacher to address single-handedly. The review also reveals an urgent need for research that thoroughly explores the connections between teaching practices and theoretical foundations to consolidate the field. To that end, it is noteworthy that a few studies also reported on prior pilot studies demonstrating the need for testing the entire design before conducting the actual research. Teachers seldom experience the opportunity to preview their teaching strategies before performing in front of their students.
... Research has shown that it is challenging to assess learners' learning of science in an informal learning environment (Rennie & McClafferty, 1995). According to Birney (1995), the use of tests does not entirely reveal the influence of learners' learning of science outside the classroom, because learning in informal environments is personal (Rennie, Feher, Dierking & Falk, 2003). Hence a drawing instrument was used. ...
Thesis
Full-text available
Literature shows that learning in informal learning environments has a long-term impact on learners’ perceptions of science. The informal learning environments are perceived as providing learners with various opportunities such as pursuing their interests, achieving science goals and learners’ motivation to learn is increased (Ching-Huei, Wen-Pi, Kun & Chin-Wen; 2022). It is for this reason that this phenomenographic study aimed to explore the influence of learners’ perceptions of learning science in an informal learning environment, such as the National Zoological Gardens. This phenomenographic study was further encouraged by the gap in South African literature in understanding how learners learn science in an informal learning environment. The study was qualitative in nature and made use of a phenomenographic research design. An interpretive viewpoint was used as a paradigm that guided this study. Ten teachers and thirty-five learners participated in the study and were conveniently selected. For a detailed understanding of learners’ perceptions of learning science in the National Zoological Gardens, teachers were considered to be important in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and drawings. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data from the three data collection sources were analysed and reported in an integrated way through the research questions. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC). The LOtC model describes the five domains that impact learners’ learning in informal environments (Malone, 2008). This framework was used to analyse the findings that emerged from this study. The findings of this study identified a lack of cooperation between the Department of Education, schools, teachers and the educational staff at the zoological gardens. The teachers in this study displayed to have inadequate knowledge regarding planning effective experiences for their learners’ learning in an informal learning environment such as the zoological gardens. These teachers influenced their learners negatively. Learners could not link the experience at the zoological gardens with the science curriculum studied in theclassroom. Learners’ knowledge learned at the zoological gardens was limited and short term. For teachers to improve their planning that will positively influence learners’ learning of science, this study has proposed a model to consider and has implications for policymakers, schools, teachers and the educational staff at the zoological gardens. Key words: Informal learning environment, learning outside the classroom, National Zoological Gardens, science learning, primary school, zoo
... Science centered pedagogy, originally pure informal learning, is nowadays often applied as a form of out-ofschool education (Salmi, 2012). Research supports the idea that science centered education has strong motivational effects (Braund & Reiss, 2007;Rennie, 2014;Rennie et al., 2003;Salmi, 2012). Its effect on learning has proven to be meaningful (Rennie, 2014;Salmi et al., 2016), and there is clear evidence that science centered pedagogy promotes a positive attitude towards STEM (Osborne & Dillon, 2008;Thuneberg et al., 2017) and STEM careers (Tan & Subramaniam, 2003). ...
Research
Full-text available
NSF funded Project Research, NSF EHR 1759005, PI Dr. Lauren B. BIrney and the CCERS Team
... However, the study Gaver (1991) could not explain why the attracting power and average holding time varied based on the properties of the exhibits. Therefore, a qualitative approach is necessary to understand the interaction between exhibits and visitors in detail (Rennie et al., 2003). Affordance can be a lens that helps qualitatively analyze the interactions between exhibits and visitors. ...
Article
Full-text available
As augmented reality (AR) gains prevalence, various AR exhibits are being installed in science museums. However, few research has thus far examined the extent to which these exhibits can improve visitors’ learning. This study qualitatively evaluates the effectiveness of an AR dinosaur exhibit at the Gwacheon National Science Museum in Korea and examines the implications for its improvement. Eight elementary school students experienced the AR dinosaur exhibit, and their reactions were captured by audio and video recordings. Science museum experts were also interviewed to understand the intended affordances of the exhibit. The students’ responses to the intended affordances were examined by analyzing their tour of the AR dinosaur exhibit. We found that the exhibit attracted the visitors by catching their attention. However, they did not pay attention to the exhibition’s primary purpose of improving scientific understanding or reasoning. Some unintended interactions, unrelated to the intended affordances, also emerged. The limitations of the examined AR dinosaur exhibit suggest implications for improving AR exhibits in the future.
... Within informal learning spaces, such as museums or science learning centers, socio-cultural models are vital in exploring the interactions between the public, learning spaces and exhibits, and experts (Davidsson & Jakobsson, 2012). Social facilitation of learning within these informal spaces advocates for educators and experts to leverage the social and cultural knowledge and tools of the individuals, families, peers, and the public to support life-long science learning (Rennie et al., 2003;Zimmerman & McClain, 2016). Informal science education spaces communicate complex, multifaceted science concepts through interactive experiences often considered non-traditional as compared to a traditional classroom (Adams & Gupta, 2017). ...
Article
Full-text available
Science fiction conventions are places where the convergence of science fiction and science is discussed within diverse communities. Many of these science fiction conventions offer programming focused on science, often described as science tracks, for science experts to share their experiences, expertise, scientific findings, and applications related to current research in connection to science fiction with the public. Framing the study within a socio-cultural context, this study surveyed experts’ (n = 19) perceived beliefs of science communication at science fiction conventions. Experts cited accessibility and promoting scientific curiosity as the greatest benefits and identified misconceptions or misinterpretation by the audience as challenges. Overall, experts agreed that communicating science is important and science fiction has a great impact on science. Because of the public access to experts, it is important to highlight the potential influence science fiction conventions may have on science communication via socio-cultural experiences and contexts within popular culture.
... Research should focus on the multifaceted complexity of learning science outside the classroom. Research in science learning outside the classroom should investigate social and cultural intervening factors encompassing: the role of dialogue, social learning, cultural aspects, and the consideration of individual and group as components of investigation (Rennie et al., 2003). Sociocultural theory forms from the social constructivist paradigm, which states knowledge is constructed socially through interaction and shared by individuals (Bryman, 2001). ...
Chapter
In this chapter, I employ Rogoff’s sociocultural perspective to coin the term sociocultural dialogic patterns and define those patterns occurring in a stingray exhibit. Informal science learning institutions are sociocultural dialogic spaces, because their current and previous social and cultural interactions transpire and influence dialogue. Resulting dialogue reflects sociocultural dialogic patterns. Therefore, research in informal science learning should investigate social and cultural intervening factors encompassing the role of dialogue, social learning, cultural aspects, and the dialogue of individuals and groups. Sociocultural theory formed from the social constructivist paradigm, which recognizes knowledge as constructed socially through interaction and shared by individuals. Learning and development embed within social events and occur as a learner interacts with people, objects, and events in a collaborative environment. I use a study focused on the dialogue and interactions of intergenerational groups in a stingray exhibit to address the following: (1) sociocultural theory as a frame for the study, (2) the relationship between results and theory, and (3) implications for using the theory in informal learning contexts.
... Informal science teaching and learning were believed to be beneficial for the residents in terms of the way they themselves came to understand how to teach science in schools-as an experience that can be driven by curiosity, interest and motivation-key features of learning in informal science settings (NRC, 2009;Rennie, Feher, Dierking & Falk, 2003). One program faculty articulated this connection well: ...
Conference Paper
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In the context of a 15-month teacher residency program that prepares Earth science secondary teachers in New York City, this case study documents residents’ opportunities to engage in science practices and research during the program as well as the role of an informal science institution as a setting for these experiences. Science practices include opportunities to engage in constructing explanations and to analyze and interpret data during courses; and the science research practicum occurs at the end of the program and involves conducting research with active scientists (postdoctoral scholars and science curators). Using sociocultural theory and critical theory, and a decolonizing geology framework, we explore the affordances of these experiences to help residents debunk deficit views of learners as well as of science as neutral.
... Como índice de la importancia concedida a la educación científica no formal, se puede mencionar también la gran cantidad de investigaciones que sobre este tema se realizan. Son numerosos los autores que desde hace décadas han insistido en el valor educativo de los medios (Scrive, 1989;Obach, 2000;Pedretti, 2002Pedretti, , 2004Pedretti, y 2006Dimopoulos & Koulaidis, 2003;Rennie, Feher, Dierking & Falk, 2003;Dierking, Falk, Rennie, Anderson & Ellenbogen, 2003;Martin, 2004;Calero, 2007;Nisbet & Aufderheide, 2009;Stoddard, 2009) Esta investigación, que se enmarca en el ámbito de la educación no reglada, tiene como objetivo central analizar la atención que presta la educación científica a los documentales, debido a su papel formativo en la alfabetización científica de la ciudadanía; en particular como instrumentos de divulgación científica ya que, por sus características, pueden resultar útiles para tratar los problemas y desafíos que afectan al conjunto de sociedades humanas (Sancho et al., 2010;Sancho, 2018). Por su mayor flexibilidad y agilidad para el tratamiento de los problemas o la posibilidad de pausar el visionado para analizar la información que se está transmitiendo, pueden resultar muy útiles para plantear los problemas que afectan actualmente al conjunto de sociedades humanas y para contribuir a desarrollar una serie de valores fundamentales y la implicación en la construcción de sociedades más justas y sostenibles (Sancho et al., 2010). ...
Conference Paper
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Resumen: El propósito de este trabajo es presentar algunos resultados de una amplia investigación en torno a los documentales científicos y su utilización en la Educación en Ciencias. En particular, se ha estudiado su contribución a la adquisición de una visión holística de la problemática socioambiental y a promover la implicación de la ciudadanía en la construcción de un presente y un futuro sostenibles. Para ello, se ha estudiado la atención que prestan tanto la enseñanza como la investigación en el campo de la educación científica a los documentales científicos; y se ha analizado el contenido de un conjunto amplio de documentales con el fin de ver en qué medida contribuye su contenido a la Educación para la Sostenibilidad. Finalmente, por su potencialidad para el tratamiento de las relaciones Ciencia, Tecnología Sociedad y Ambiente (CTSA), se han diseñado diferentes intervenciones didácticas, así como programas de actividades para que los documentales científicos contribuyan a la formación para la Sostenibilidad, evaluándose los resultados tanto al utilizarlo con profesorado de ciencias en formación como con estudiantes de Secundaria. Palabras clave: Documentales científicos; Educación no formal; Educación para la Sostenibilidad; Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS); Relaciones CTSA. INTRODUCCIÓN No hay más que asomarse a los medios de comunicación para constatar la creciente atención concedida a toda una serie de problemas (contaminación pluriforme, agotamiento de recursos, cambio climático, incremento de
... The flexibility of OST science learning experiences and potential for greater availability of OST through free-choice activities (Falk et al., 2007;Rennie et al., 2003;Sha et al., 2015) could also provide additional learning opportunities to students from wide ranges of SES levels and ethnic/cultural backgrounds (MacLeish et al., 2012). Furthermore, OST science learning provides avenues of scientific exploration that can be important sources of exposure to science, skill building, and increases in STEM aspirations (Dabney, et al., 2012;MacLeish et al., 2012;Nugent et al., 2015;Sha et al., 2015). ...
Article
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Science education in the United States has endured substantial reform due to national needs for a bolstered, more diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce. Recent reform efforts call for students to be engaged in scientific inquiry through the practices of scientists and engineers. Opportunity gaps exist in science education and in the STEM pipeline for those who have traditionally been underrepresented, especially females and minorities. Research highlights the potential of science fair experiences to engage students in inquiry learning that could meet the needs of updated standards. Furthermore, students from diverse backgrounds might benefit from out-of-school time science learning opportunities such as science fair. Research results suggest students pursue STEM education and STEM careers due to development of STEM identity, and expectancy-value theory. Other research that investigated students’ motivations to do science fair has failed to differentiate between compulsory and voluntary participation. Little is known about why students, choose to engage in science fair. This research used constructivist grounded theory to develop a theory of students’ motivation to continually participate in scientific research for science fair. Data was collected and analyzed from intensive interviews of 23 students across eight school districts all within a Great Plains state. Participants engaged in multiple science fairs while in middle and/or high school and participated voluntarily for at least one iteration of science fair. Findings yielded a theoretical model that depicts the processes that students experienced as they engaged in science fair, such as the chance to pursue meaningful research, the challenges they faced, such as a lack of resources, and the support they received from sponsors. This study contributes to the literature on motivation to do science fair as findings indicate the development of science identity, students’ needs to have autonomy in their research topic, and students’ realization of scientific research as a tool to solve meaningful problems and science fair as the venue to be an expert. Advisor: Eric S. Buhs
... The importance of prior knowledge and cumulative learning was also repeatedly stressed for out-of-school learning settings [3,84]. Rennie et al. [92] state that Motivation and willingness to engage in further instruction are most likely to be the important affective outcomes of a visit. [1] Interviewer: What did you learn about these things-in school, here? ...
Article
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Affective and cognitive outcomes of science teaching in schools may be enhanced by science outreach labs (SOLs). Particularly interesting is whether and how to connect SOL visits to in-school science learning. Recent studies—among others, in this journal—have confirmed SOLs’ positive affective effects. However, research remains inconclusive regarding cognitive outcomes, the effects of connecting SOLs to classroom teaching, and effects beyond the short term. This study more closely investigates the short- and medium-term effectiveness of SOLs on affective (interest, self-concept) and cognitive variables (conceptual and procedural knowledge), as well as the effects of integrating lab work with school-based preparation and post-lab activities. A quasi-experimental intervention study via a repeated measures design and two SOL treatment groups (TG1/2: with and without integration), and an in-school control group (CG; also with integration of pre- and postlab activities, in accordance with good practice) was undertaken. It took place in a lab work unit on “pressure and buoyancy” for the lower secondary level, with identical instruction and the same instructor across groups, and with several further control measures. The main findings are as follows: (i) SOLs can have substantial learning and affective outcomes [pre-post learning gains: Cohen’s d>1; increases in interest (d>0.8) and self-concept (d≈0.5) immediately after the visit]. (ii) Learning gains were still present at medium term (d>0.7) but not affective ones. (iii) Integration with classroom teaching was necessary for learning (TG1 vs TG2: d=0.72), and not harmful for interest. (iv) Learning and affective outcomes of an integrated SOL are as good as those of a well-prepared classroom setting, but not better. (v) No interactions of the outcome variables with gender and other covariates were found; the lab work units appeared suitable for both sexes and different kinds of learners. These findings are discussed with respect to current theories of learning and interest development, and SOLs’ added value to science education.
... The children were enthusiastic about repeating what the teacher had told them about fruit plants. Interest in learning science developed since preschool can prepare children to learn science in the upper elementary grades and sustain an enduring interest in learning about science (Anderson & Helms, 2001;Rennie et al., 2003). ...
Article
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Learning science concerning early childhood should focus on a fun learning process. However, children's interest in learning while participating in the science learning process is still low; some children are busy playing alone, disturbing their friends, doing other work, and going in and out for various reasons when science learning occurs. This study aims to increase children's interest in learning science through plant puzzle media. The research used the Classroom Action Research (CAR) with the Kemmis-Taggart model with four stages: plan, implementation, observation, and reflection. The participants are ten children aged 5-6 years at Al Faiz Early Childhood Education (ECE) Langsa, Aceh. The researcher used an observation sheet with four indicators: interest in learning, attention to learning, motivation, and knowledge to obtain improvement data. The results showed an increased children's interest in learning science in each cycle. The average score of children in the Well Developed (WD) category was 76%. In addition, children's activities also showed outstanding improvement during the teaching and learning process. The researcher concluded that plant puzzle media could increase children's interest in learning science. The implication of research related to the effectiveness of plant puzzle media on learning other than science needs to be studied further.
... Outreach, outdoor, non-formal, and informal are frequently used terms to describe various learning activities offered in out-of-school environments, outside the structured, formal classroom setting [28][29][30]. We will use the neutral term out-of-school learning in a broader sense to refer to all educational approaches that involve students (as the target group) in learning activities that take place outside the school ground [31]. Prominent examples in the context of environmental education approaches are a museum or zoo visit and field trips to a forest or a lake [32]. ...
... Through games, children expand their language/literacy and communication abilities, learn numerical and spatial concepts, use their imagination and creativity, develop problem-solving skills, practice memory skills and the ability to sustain their attention, rehearse social roles, and develop the ability to regulate their behavior and emotions (e.g., Kingery et al., 2018;Wenner, 2009). The games are enjoyable, spontaneous, and optional (Rennie et al., 2003). Although they are associated with children, games can take place in every stage of human lifecycle. ...
Article
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Educational games are fun teaching tools prepared in line with the aims of the lessons and facilitate the understanding of the subjects. Due to these features, they can be used in science centers to both discover exhibits and provide understanding of concepts. In this study, it was aimed to determine the opinions about the educational games prepared for the science center. For this purpose, the games prepared for Kocaeli Science Center were played and the opinions of the pre-service teachers who played the games were determined. The study is a phenomenological research in which the opinions of the participants are investigated. The study group consists of 30 pre-service science teachers. The participants played the games prepared in relation to science lesson subjects in groups. After playing the games, their opinions on playing in the science center, the effect of playing in the science center on learning, discovering the science center and exhibits were asked based on their experiences. The data were collected through a form with open-ended questions and observations. The collected data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis. The pre-service teachers emphasized that they understood the subjects in the exhibits better. They stated that the science center visits supported by educational games will positively affect learning. Based on the results of the research, it can be said that educational games should be among the educational tools that can be used to discover the science center and to understand the exhibits.
... Um estudo conduzido por Massarani et al. (2019c) também demonstrou que os objetos de uma exposição de ciência que mais despertaram o interesse, a motivação e a construção de significados em adolescentes foram objetos reais que permitiam, de alguma forma, associá-los com o cotidiano e a sua vida particular, com o seu contexto sociocultural e com suas experiências prévias. Rennie et al. (2003) apontam que fatores sociais e culturais, como conversas, manipulações das exposições e agrupamentos de indivíduos (aqui interações entre famílias), medeiam a experiência de aprendizagem de maneiras importantes. No entanto, não é apenas a conversa, mas também a ação e a coordenação das duas que podem revelar a criação de significado. ...
Article
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RESUMO: Neste estudo, analisamos as experiências de aprendizado de famílias em visita a uma exposição de ciência por meio das interações e conversas. O objetivo é compreender como uma exposição com um design de ambiente narrativo pode facilitar o processo de aprendizagem e a construção de significado de temas relacionados à ciência. Participaram do estudo, que tem abordagem qualitativa e caráter exploratório, nove grupos de famílias com crianças em visita espontânea à exposição “Quando nem tudo era gelo”, desenvolvida pelo Museu Nacional (RJ). Os registros audiovisuais das visitas foram analisados com um protocolo que combina aspectos teóricos e empíricos da experiência de visitação a museus. Os resultados indicam que as famílias foram capazes de desenvolver entendimentos da exposição e que módulos expositivos de característica contemplativa, com enfoque nos objetos e artefatos, contribuíram para a construção de sentido e compreensão de temas relacionados à ciência.
... Puvirajah et al. (2012) suggest that the context of the activity in their study-a robotic competition in convention centres-made possible discourse practices that were different from students' classroom experiences in that they were descriptive, relational, explanatory, and had an authentic evaluative dimension. Similar arguments suggest the need to study how teaching in an out-of-school setting may contribute to challenging stereotyped power relations (Rennie et al., 2003). ...
Article
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Scientific representations of human evolution often embrace stereotypes of ethnicity and gender that are more aligned with socio-cultural discourses and norms than empirical facts. The present study has two connected aims: to understand how ethnicity and gender are represented in an exhibition about human evolution, and to understand how that representation influences learners’ meaning making. First, we analysed an exhibition with realistic reconstructions of early hominids in a museum of natural history, to identify dualisms related to the representation of gender and ethnicity that have been recognised in research. Then, we studied the processes of meaning making in the exhibition during an out-of-school educational activity, in which groups of teenaged students explore and discuss the hominid reconstructions. Our results show that the exhibition displays human evolution in the form of a linear sequence from a primitive African prehistory to a more advanced European present. Behind this depiction of human evolution lies stereotypic notions of ethnicity and gender: notions that were incorporated into the students’ meaning making during the educational activity. When students noticed aspects of ethnicity, their meaning making did not dispute the messages represented in the exhibition; these were accepted as scientific facts. Conversely, when the students noticed aspects related to gender, they often adopted a more critical stance and challenged the representations from different perspectives. We discuss the implications of our findings for exhibit design and evolution education more generally. In doing so, we offer our perspectives on the design of learning environments to salvage inherently sexist, racist, imperial science.
... Επίσης, οι δραστηριότητες που θα πραγματοποιηθούν πρέπει να είναι τέτοιες, ώστε οι μαθητές να μπορούν να αλληλεπιδράσουν μεταξύ τους ή με το περιβάλλον έρευνας και εργασίας, ανάλογα με το θέμα της Ιστορίας που έχει επιλεγεί, συνθήκη που θα βοηθήσει να αναπτυχθεί το αίσθημα της συλλογικής ευθύνης και η ισομερής κατανομή υποχρεώσεων, οδηγώντας σε υψηλά μαθησιακά αποτελέσματα (Rennie et al. 2003). ...
Chapter
Αγγελάκη, Ρ. (2019). «Βυζαντινοί αντικατοπτρισμοί στις λογοτεχνικές και τις μουσειακές αφηγήσεις». Στο Γ. Παπαδημητρίου & Χ. Κωσταρής (Επιμ.) Πρακτικά του 4ου Πανελλήνιου Συνεδρίου «Εκπαίδευση στον 21ο αιώνα: σχολείο και πολιτισμός», Τόμ. Α΄ (σσ. 61-73). Αθήνα: Μουσείο Σχολικής Ζωής και Εκπαίδευσης του ΕΚΕΔΙΣΥ, Παιδαγωγική Εταιρεία Ελλάδος, Κολλέγιο Αθηνών.
... We are motivated to use this research method because of its potency for collecting open-end data with inert potential for the development of relevant themes and to initiate new modes of thinking. We also followed the suggestions put forward by Rennie et al. (2003), Ash and Rahm (2012), and Anderson (2012) that future studies of learning in informal settings should embrace multiple and creative research methods. In view of this, we administered face-to-face structured interviews with open-ended questions among selected participants who are auto-mobile specialists operating in informal automobile workshops within the Lagos Metropolitan Area. ...
Article
This paper broadly examines learning in informal settings and seeks explicitly to determine the modes of learning among automobile mechanics in the Lagos Metropolitan Area (LMA). The study relies on qualitative data extracted from the responses of 28 interviewees. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data carefully. The deductions led to novel findings, which reveal that the dynamics of learning among automobile mechanics is non-linear, requires a strong will and positive attitude, and involves taking personal responsibility for one's learning goals. Implications of the findings for practice and policies for improved learning and innovation in informal settings include, first, the study affirms that there are four learning modes among the informal automobile experts under review: generation of new ideas, information sharing, the wealth of experience, and reflection. Also, skills-upgrading and employment generation top the list of priorities among policymakers.
... Finally, consistent evidence supports the idea that STEM interest starts early and an important window for engagement likely comes before the middlelevel years (Dabney et al., 2012(Dabney et al., , 2013Maltese & Tai, 2011;Tai et al., 2006). Informal exposure to STEM activities, such as free-choice learning opportunities (Falk et al., 2007;Rennie et al., 2003;Sha et al., 2015), were shown to be signifi cant experiences for STEM undergraduate-degree holders across 70 colleges in 30 states (Maltese et al., 2014). Large data sets from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) show that over 60% of the sample of fourth grade students (male and female; white, black, and Hispanic) reported strongly enjoying science (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2011). ...
Research
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Out-of-school time (OST) science research can be an important part of a student's decision to pursue a career in STEM. This article reports on the fi ndings from a transformative phenomenological study of what secondary students experience while completing OST scientifi c research. The purpose of this study was to use an emic research lens to better understand the contexts and content of student experiences. We collected data from in-depth interviews with an ethnically diverse group of eight students who previously participated in science fairs, and fi ve sponsors who supported science fair students. Major themes were found to be consistent through the student experiences, including opportunities to explore their own interests, deeply learn and apply science, and being supported by mentors and other professionals. The interplay of these themes seems to be critical to the experience as a whole. These fi ndings hold implications for expanding out-of-school time science research opportunities for a more diverse group of learners.
... En el museo, se trabaja a partir de un Modelo Educativo que es transversal a todas sus actividades y proyectos ( fig. 1). El Modelo Educativo (Museo Interactivo Mirador, 2017) se centra en tres claves principales, que se encuentran en línea con la experiencia internacional de museos interactivos de ciencias (Rennie et al., 2003). Las claves describen una experiencia lúdica, interactiva y de exploración. ...
Chapter
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The Educative Program I’m here, and always have been! promoted direct contact between indigenous curators and the public, in the exhibition “Resistence Already! Strengthening the union between the Kaingang, Guarani Nhandewa and Terena indigenous cultures”, and was developed by these three indigenous groups from central-west São Paulo state, Brazil, in collaboration with the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of São Paulo (MAE-USP). MAE-USP is a university museum that safeguards and research collections that pertain to the areas of Brazilian, American, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern archaeology, and African, Afrobrazilian and Indigenous Ethography. The institution has more than three decades and has collections that have been formed since the 19th century. The Program was created as a form of intervention to potentialize indigenous voices already present in the exhibition, and was conducted in a way that cut across other educative programs and involved students, lecturers, museum staff, the elderly, and children living in favelas. Throughout the Program, the indigenous participants, who included shamans and spiritual leaders, teachers, elders, chiefs and political leaders, mediated the work according to their specific visions and demands. We thereby contributed to promote intercultural exchanges while working to decolonize thought and practice in museums.
... In the past decades, there have been calls to study long-term learning in museums. Museums need to study how they are being integrated into everyday life (Stevenson, 1991) and need to acknowledge that learning is cumulative (Rennie et al., 2003) and not easily isolated in time . Many theories and models for both short and long-term learning in museum settings have been developed over the years (Falk & Dierking, 2018;Hooper-Greenhill, 2004b). ...
Article
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This study looks at the types of awe guests feel when they leave art and science cultural institutions of various sizes and context, and how it may be related to what they remember learning. We surveyed 899 guests at the end of their visit and 550 of them again about one week later. Measures included a scale of awe-related perceptions (both positive and negative) along with questions about memories guests have about what they learned during their visit. Results show awe-related perceptions were consistent across institutions with only one significant difference, even when grouped by context (art vs. science). Guests’ memories of profound educational and emotional experiences were weakly related to the amount and types of awe they felt. This connection was strongest with memories of emotional connections and being surprised. We also found connections to social experiences and that prior knowledge was a strong, consistent predictor of positive awe.
... The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) club movement is being driven by an identified need from policymakers, industry, and educators to encourage student participation in STEM-related activities (Gottfried & Williams, 2013;Lowrie et al., 2017). This participation can be considered for the purposes of increasing employment in STEM fields, personal enrichment, or the development of a more informed citizenry (Rennie et al., 2003;Stocklmayer & Rennie, 2017). In fostering this interest, STEM clubs of differing configurations and visions are providing informal participatory learning opportunities for children and young people with these differing perspectives in mind. ...
Article
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STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) clubs are gaining momentum as a means for engaging students in STEM-related activities. Despite this growth, there have been limited attempts to examine the conditions that inform practice in these informal educational spaces. This paper addresses that gap through a comprehensive literature review of empirical and practitioner publications, with a focus on synthesising the approaches that support STEM clubs to be effective learning environments. In total, 33 papers were included in this review. Through a rigorous literature review process, the research team identified a number of key focus areas that support the achievement of learning outcomes and programme sustainability. These focus areas are grouped into three key themes – club management, environment, and program evaluation – that STEM club practitioners should attend to in order to ensure a well-informed approach. Within in each theme a number of sub-dimensions were identified, which provide practical insights and lived examples of how these conditions can be enacted within STEM clubs in ways that speak to quality. The evidence-based findings presented in this paper can be used by practitioners to guide STEM club practice. Further, the paper identifies where research is required to explore contemporary practice in informal education settings.
... However, Rennie, Feher, Dierking, and Falk (2003) indicated out-of-school settings encompass several learning features that differ from classroom teaching. A spontaneous and voluntary learning model is necessary to meet the demands and satisfy the interest of the students. ...
Article
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The major purpose of this study was to explore the learning outcomes on marine education for 3rd graders in Taipei. A quasi-experimental design with a single group was used in this study. Students in the experimental group (N=56) were given eight weeks of marine education activities and a one-day field trip at Tamsui River Estuary Park in New Taipei city. Two research instruments were used in this study, including a Marine Education Achievement Test and an Attitude towards Marine Education Scale. The results were obtained by t-test analysis. The results of this study were (1) the Marine Education Achievement Test showed students in the post-test achieved higher scores than in the pre-test (t = 14.21, p .001); and (2) the Attitude towards Marine Education Scale showed students in the post-test had higher scores than in the pre-test (t = 4.28, p .001). Therefore, it can be concluded the marine education activities and field trip were effective for 3rd graders’ learning on marine education in this study.
... The teachers found weekly research team meetings, although time consuming, were very useful to try to make sense of the evidence they collected. Using multiple sources of evidence, and creative methodologies, and assessing in a variety of ways gave the teachers, and researchers rich insights into student learning as recommended by Rennie et al. (2003). The teachers were confronted with a mountain of data and learnt that not all students did things that they had planned for them. ...
Chapter
Internationally and in New Zealand, goals of twenty-first century school science include students developing conceptual understanding, procedural understanding, and an understanding about the Nature of Science, alongside the aim of developing scientifically literate citizens capable of making informed decisions about socio-scientific issues they encounter in their everyday lives (Bull, 2010; Hodson, 2014; Moeed & Easterbrook, 2016). The notion that developing an understanding of science requires the student to talk, read and write, that is literacy is the key focus of this research. “Developing an understanding of an idea requires talking about it, writing about it, reading about it and representing/drawing or visualizing it” along with engaging in practical work (Osborne, 2015, p. 18). The notion that developing an understanding of science requires the student to talk, read and write, that is literacy is the key focus of this research.
... The teachers found weekly research team meetings, although time consuming, were very useful to try to make sense of the evidence they collected. Using multiple sources of evidence, and creative methodologies, and assessing in a variety of ways gave the teachers, and researchers rich insights into student learning as recommended by Rennie et al. (2003). The teachers were confronted with a mountain of data and learnt that not all students did things that they had planned for them. ...
Chapter
Teaching as inquiry is research undertaken by teachers to improve their practice. In this chapter we present the findings of our research where the participating teachers inquired into their science teaching practice. We report the findings of their inquiries. A key point about this statement is that a pedagogical approach that may have a positive outcome on student learning in one school may not have the same impact in another, essentially, context matters. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) encourages teachers to use this as a tool for improving their teaching with the focus on better outcomes for all students and states that, “Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students” (p. 35).
... The teachers found weekly research team meetings, although time consuming, were very useful to try to make sense of the evidence they collected. Using multiple sources of evidence, and creative methodologies, and assessing in a variety of ways gave the teachers, and researchers rich insights into student learning as recommended by Rennie et al. (2003). The teachers were confronted with a mountain of data and learnt that not all students did things that they had planned for them. ...
Chapter
This Chapter presents the Year 9 Case study. The focus of the case study was to help students to learn the language of science, understand the science ideas, and be able to communicate these in writing. The participating teachers collectively decided that they wanted to conduct this study with their Year 9 classes. This was because they wanted to have the classes who had learnt these strategies to have the opportunity to consolidate them in Year 10. This was made possible by the school allowing the participating teachers to have the same classes in the following year. In Year 9 case study teachers used two teaching strategies. Sparklers and weekly quizzes.Supporting students to communicate their science ideas through writing Sparklers and weekly quizzes. Supporting students to communicate their science ideas through writing
... The teachers found weekly research team meetings, although time consuming, were very useful to try to make sense of the evidence they collected. Using multiple sources of evidence, and creative methodologies, and assessing in a variety of ways gave the teachers, and researchers rich insights into student learning as recommended by Rennie et al. (2003). The teachers were confronted with a mountain of data and learnt that not all students did things that they had planned for them. ...
... Na área das ciências naturais os locais mais utilizados para a realização de visitas de estudo são os museus, planetários, centros de ciência, jardins botânicos, aquários e jardins zoológicos (Rennie et al, 2003), indústrias e laboratórios (Dori & Tal, 2000), e locais ao ar livre, tais como parques, geomonumentos, áreas protegidas e outros locais do meio envolvente à escola (McKenzie et al, 1986;Orion, 1989;Switzer, 1995). ...
Thesis
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As visitas de estudo podem proporcionar um importante contributo para o ensino das ciências por potencializar aprendizagens de natureza cognitiva, afectiva e social. Por outro lado, as Orientações Curriculares para as Ciências Físicas e Naturais sugerem a realização de várias visitas de estudo para o desenvolvimento de diversas experiências educativas. Contudo, o grande desafio para os professores coloca-se em saber como implementar essas Visitas de Estudo para que os alunos aprendam Ciências. Neste contexto, o objectivo deste estudo é caracterizar as representações de professores e alunos sobre visitas de estudo no âmbito das Ciências Naturais - CN. Para a sua consecução, procedeu-se à recolha de dados através de um questionário electrónico, a 123 professores portugueses de CN, profissionalizados em ensino da Biologia e Geologia, que têm vindo a leccionar no 3º Ciclo do Ensino básico em escolas públicas sob coordenação da Direcção Regional de Educação do Norte, e 274 alunos (delegados e sub-delegados) a frequentar o 9º ano de escolaridade nas mesmas escolas. Os resultados obtidos revelaram que: de um modo geral os professores e os alunos valorizam a realização de visitas de estudo e justificam a sua importância atribuindo a estas actividades potencialidades e alguns constrangimentos, principalmente, logísticos e financeiros; embora quase todos os professores tenham implementado visitas de estudo no âmbito de CN metade dos alunos não realizou nenhuma destas visitas no 3º ciclo; estas visitas foram realizadas a uma variedade de locais, desde locais ao ar livre a museus e indústrias; e o principal motivo para a realização das visitas foi a aprendizagem e a consolidação de conhecimentos. Verificou-se ainda que as práticas das visitas de estudo consideradas pelos professores como as mais bem sucedidas e as práticas das únicas visitas de estudo em que os alunos participaram no âmbito de CN são semelhantes. Designadamente, ambas se integram nos assuntos abordados na sala de aula; o motivo, quando referido, relaciona-se com aprender e consolidar conhecimentos; as actividades de pré-visita são reduzidas; as actividades de pós-visita são, maioritariamente, confinadas ao contexto escolar; a maioria das visitas de estudo são ilustrativas e o seu valor educativo é essencialmente de natureza cognitiva. Finalmente, os professores reconhecem poucas limitações na visita de estudo mais bem sucedida que implementaram e os alunos apontaram algumas razões para a (in)satisfação com a única visita de estudo em que participaram. Assim, parece que os professores terão de reflectir sobre as suas práticas de modo a rentabilizar estas actividades educativas.
... Outreach, outdoor, non-formal, and informal are frequently used terms to describe various learning activities offered in out-of-school environments, outside the structured, formal classroom setting [28][29][30]. We will use the neutral term out-of-school learning in a broader sense to refer to all educational approaches that involve students (as the target group) in learning activities that take place outside the school ground [31]. Prominent examples in the context of environmental education approaches are a museum or zoo visit and field trips to a forest or a lake [32]. ...
Article
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Permanent access to safe drinking water is guaranteed in most industrialized countries, while climate change is turning it into a serious global issue. Knowing how to use the valuable resource water consciously and sustainably requires well-informed and ecologically aware citizens. Environmental education approaches should help develop long-term environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and behavior with the overall goal of promoting environmental citizenship. The present study, thus, examines the influence of environmental values on students’ environmental knowledge in a German primary school sample (9–10-year-old students) by providing an authentic, out-of-school learning experience on the topic of fresh water supply. Our approach goes beyond mere correlation analyses by using structural equation modeling (SEM) to measure effects between the two variables. Environmental values were monitored using the Two Major Environmental Values Model (2-MEV) with its two dimensions, Preservation and Utilization of nature. Following a quasi-experimental design, we assessed the learners’ knowledge before (T0), directly after (T1), and six weeks after (T2) module participation. Confirmatory factor analysis verified the two-factor-structure of the 2-MEV. Preservation turned out as a direct positive predictor of pre-knowledge (T0) but did not show any significant effect on post-knowledge (T1) and knowledge retention (T2). Utilization displayed a larger albeit negative direct effect on knowledge across all testing times, especially for pre- and post-knowledge. Our findings shed light on the significant impact of anthropocentric attitudes on knowledge acquisition within primary school samples and provided valuable insights into feasible environmental learning approaches.
... Para la adquisición de esta visión global se atribuye hoy un papel fundamental no solo a la educación científica reglada, sino también a la no reglada (educación «out of school»). Aunque hasta hace poco esta última era escasamente considerada por la investigación e innovación en el campo de la educación en ciencias, el Second International Handbook of Science Education (Fraser, Tobin y McRobbie, 2012) le dedicó 9 capítulos, haciendo énfasis en su capacidad para favorecer el interés del alumnado (Rennie et al., 2003;Tal, 2012). ...
Article
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RESUMEN • La investigación que se presenta estudia el papel que los museos etnológicos pueden jugar en la educación científica para contribuir a sociedades más sostenibles, dado que dichos museos pretenden mostrar aspectos esenciales de la vida de los grupos humanos y las relaciones que se estable-cen entre ellos y el medio que les rodea. Pueden ser así un instrumento idóneo para abordar, tanto los problemas locales que afectan a un grupo humano concreto, como los globales a los que ha de hacer frente la humanidad. Se ha analizado en qué medida el contenido de los museos etnológicos incorpora la problemática socioambiental y, a la luz de dicho análisis, se han diseñado herramientas-entre ellas un museo virtual-para contribuir a la formación para la sostenibilidad, evaluando los resultados de su utilización, con profesorado de ciencias en formación y estudiantes de secundaria. PALABRAS CLAVE: Emergencia planetaria; Transición a la sostenibilidad; Educación científica para la sostenibilidad; Educación científica no formal; Museos. ABSTRACT • This research is focused on studying the role that ethnological museums could play on the citizens' scientific education for sustainability, since these museums are intended to show essential aspects of the life of human groups and the relationships established among them and their environment. They offer, therefore, an ideal opportunity to approach the local problems which affect a particular human group, as well as the global problems that humanity must face as a whole. For this purpose , the extent to which the contents of the ethnological museums incorporate socioenvironmental problems has been analysed. In the light of this analysis, a virtual museum has been designed, intended to contribute to citizen education for the sustainability transition, evaluating the results obtained by using this museum with both future teachers in training and students of secondary education.
... Para la adquisición de esta visión global se atribuye hoy un papel fundamental no solo a la educación científica reglada, sino también a la no reglada (educación «out of school»). Aunque hasta hace poco esta última era escasamente considerada por la investigación e innovación en el campo de la educación en ciencias, el Second International Handbook of Science Education (Fraser, Tobin y McRobbie, 2012) le dedicó 9 capítulos, haciendo énfasis en su capacidad para favorecer el interés del alumnado (Rennie et al., 2003;Tal, 2012). ...
Article
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The research which is presented tries to respond to the appeals that worldwide experts and institutions as the United Nations have been making to the educational community for decades, so that it contributes to the learning process of a citizenship who is aware of the unsustainable situation of the Earth’s socio-environmental emergency, and who is prepared to participate in informed decision-making. The aim is to turn the education for sustainability into a basic component of citizenship education, as a result of an extensive line of research/ innovation about the role of scientific education (both formal and non-formal) in dealing with the planetary emergency situation and, therefore, contribute to the necessary transition towards sustainability.
Article
Background: Birding is ideal for engaging students in authentic scientific inquiry because it relies on specialized equipment, requires keen observation skills, engages prior knowledge, and activates critical thinking. However, there is very little research on the benefits of birding in K-12 education. Purpose: Two elementary teachers created an afterschool bird club to engage students in birding to help them develop a better appreciation for their surroundings and increase awareness of the natural world. This qualitative study was conducted over two academic years and investigated the role an afterschool birding club had on students’ interaction with nature and their peers. Methodology/Approach: Using a primarily ethnographic approach, teacher interviews, parent survey data and interviews, and field notes guided the understanding of the research question. Findings/Conclusions: The study reveals an evident value for elementary students in social interactions, improved relationships with others, a building of scientific knowledge and awareness, and an increased appreciation for nature. Implications: Benefits include allowing students to interact with tools and materials relating to science and bird identification. They make this a fun way to enact their passion and hopefully inspire children to develop a love for birds, birding, and a desire to conserve the local habitat.
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Science centres are informal learning spaces embedded with artefacts embodying mediational affordances. This exploratory and small-scale mixed methods study juxtaposes eye-tracking technologies and qualitative interviews to examine how visitors to a gallery navigated this space and interacted with different artefacts. A total of 15 visitors to the science centre gallery, Energy Story, participated in the study. The findings revealed inconclusive results about the directionality of their navigation. The mediational affordances of the artefacts, as interpreted from the interactive elements and interaction of the visitors and interviews, suggested that it was better to distribute the mediational affordances across a few artefacts in an exhibit rather than have one artefact embody several affordances. The concept of “mediational threshold” was suggested as a topic for future study. The findings contributed to the academic literature on eye-tracking studies at science centres. They also provided ideas for science centre curators and teachers who bring students with diverse learning needs to this mediational space.
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This study explored pre-service middle school mathematics teachers’ perspectives on teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments. The current study designed an online course on out-of-school mathematics education and investigated participants’ perspectives before and after the class. The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative methods, was employed. Participants of the study were 36 second- and third-year pre-service middle school teachers who enrolled in the course. The data sources of the study were participants’ open- ended responses to questionnaires. Open coding was used to analyze the data. The data analysis was carried out under four dimensions: (1) Identification of out-of-school mathematics education environments, (2) teaching contexts for teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments, (3) teaching purposes for teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments, and (4) frequency for using out-of- school education and their reasons. The findings of the study pointed to important changes in the participants' perspectives on teaching mathematics in out-of- school learning environments after taking the course. The findings of the study would shed light on studies on teacher education in the emerging field of out-of-school mathematics education.
Article
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This study explored pre-service middle school mathematics teachers’ perspectives on teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments. The current study designed an online course on out-of-school mathematics education and investigated participants’ perspectives before and after the class. The phenomenology method, one of the qualitative methods, was employed. Participants of the study were 36 2nd and 3rd-year pre-service middle school teachers who enrolled in the course. The data sources of the study were participants’ open-ended responses to questionnaires. Open coding was used to analyze the data. The data analysis was carried out under four dimensions: (1) Identification of out-of-school mathematics education environments, (2) teaching contexts for teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments, (3) teaching purposes for teaching mathematics in out-of-school learning environments, and (4) frequency for using out-of-school education and their reasons. The findings of the study pointed to important changes in the participants' perspectives on teaching mathematics in out-of- school learning environments after taking the course. The findings of the study would shed light into studies on teacher education in the emerging field of out-of-school mathematics education.
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Informal science education researchers have become increasingly interested in how out-of-school spaces that offer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs inform learners’ STEM achievement, interests, and affective outcomes. Studies have found that these spaces can offer critical learning and developmental opportunities for underrepresented racially minoritized (URM) students (Black, Latinx, low socioeconomic status) in STEM subjects. Shifting away from the leaky STEM pipeline analogy, researchers have posited contemporary understandings to explain why the minoritization of URM girls persists. Informal learning environments such as STEM summer camps are being studied to assess how URM girls experience and interact with STEM in novel ways. These environments can inform the research field about how URM girls’ perceptions of their STEM identities, abilities, efficacy, and belonging in STEM develop as they engage in those spaces. This mixed-method study used a multiple-case-study approach to examine how aspects of URM middle school girls’ STEM identities positively changed after participating in a one-week, sleep-away, single-gender STEM summer camp held at a university in the Southwestern U.S. Drawing on intersectionality and STEM identity, we used ecological systems theory to design our research study, examining how URM middle school girls narrate their STEM identities in this informal learning environment. Using quantitative analyses and deductive coding methods, we explored how elements of girls’ STEM identities were shaped during and after their participation in the STEM summer camp. Findings from our study highlight (1) quantitative changes in girl participants’ STEM identities, sense of belonging in STEM, and perceived STEM ability belief, (2) qualitative results supporting our quantitative findings, and (3) how the intersectionality of participants’ race and gender played a role in their STEM identities. This study points to the potential of STEM informal learning camps as a way of developing and fostering URM girls’ STEM identities.
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We have been learning about the learning of children and youth, teachers, and visitors over the course of 7 years as we developed and deepened a research agenda in education in our natural history museum. In 2016 in this journal, we detailed how we began this effort and the development and initial steps of an educational research agenda. Focusing on our work since then, our team of educational researchers describes how our research has revealed the considerable impact of out-of-school learning with youth, educators, and visitors and how we incorporate a focus upon equity across all areas of inquiry. We share main findings emerging from our research, early roadblocks and current challenges, and lessons about engaging in research on learning in a cultural institution with implications for both large and small settings.
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The aim of this study is descriptive examination of the research on science centers in the field of education in Turkey regarding various characteristics. 68 publications in the form of articles and graduate theses on science centers in the field of education, which were conducted in Turkey, published at the national level until January 2022, and whose full text is available electronically were described in depth using document analysis, which is one of the qualitative research designs. Content analysis was conducted to analyze the data obtained from 68 publications through the use of three basic categories, subcategories and codes both existing in the literature and developed by the researchers. The categories include demographic information, the research area, and the research method. The analysis of the data showed that the number of articles on the science center were more than graduate theses and there has been an increase in research until 2019 that is followed by a decrease after 2019. Most of the research was conducted in science and physics disciplines. It was determined that most of the studies focused on science center trips and the education of students at different learning levels, and these studies examined the process of participation in guided exhibitions and activities. Most of the studies were conducted with students and using qualitative research methods. Questionnaires, observations and interviews were the most commonly used data collection tools. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were provided for research on out-of-school learning environments and science centers in the field of education.
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This chapter focuses on variation theory and its application for analysis and enhancement of learning experiences outside the classroom. Variation theory offers potential to guide research design, methodology and analysis that seeks evidence of impactful teaching and learning practice. Variation theory is introduced including a short history of its development from its roots in phenomenography. The chapter explores the use of Variation Theory in a case study exploring the impact of a lesson in an immersive habitat classroom delivered by zoo educators on a school excursion of students’ understanding of science concepts. By using the theory to juxtapose the objects of learning we can see how the learning intentions and what students experience impacts on understanding through comparison of pre- and post-lesson drawings. Thus, the theory provides overlapping lenses through which we can gain insights into the critical aspects of teaching and learning in one-off lessons in outdoor contexts. The focus is not on the method or results of my study, but rather how variation theory applies to learning science outside the classroom in settings such as zoos. Excursions to zoos are frequent additions to school education programs offering meaningful learning experiences through animal encounters and contextual environments. As major providers of out-of-school lessons the world over, Zoos aim to instill conservation messages simultaneous with supplementing curriculum learning. Despite massive visitation by school students, little research has examined the impact of zoo lessons on student understanding of science concepts. There is growing awareness of the potential of zoos as key education providers on the need for accountability in terms of educational impact. I use the case of student learning about animal classification and adaptations to habitats to explicate the teaching and learning situation from the perspective of variation theory. Seeking to discern the attributes of the lessons, especially in relation to the immersive classroom design, that directed students’ attention to the critical aspect of the object of learning, helps us understand more about the complexities of learning in situ in out-of-school settings. The conclusion discusses the implications of variation theory for zoo teaching practice towards enhanced scientific understanding of animal habitats and related concepts.
Chapter
Informal STEM learning is the process of learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts outside of the school classroom. Because informal STEM learning can take place anywhere, researchers have found it useful to categorize this learning based on the contexts in which it typically occurs: everyday learning, designed environments and programs. Although significant STEM learning has been shown to take place in all three locations, evidence suggests that the principal benefits of informal STEM experiences are long-term transformations in learners as they pursue a “cascade” of experiences cumulatively across a diversity of physical and social contexts including school, home, museums, media, and science programs. In this article we explore our current understanding of the role of informal STEM learning in the larger educational ecosystem, discuss ways to broaden participation in informal STEM learning, and identify areas for further research.
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Conference Paper
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Με τον όρο ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα ορίζουμε την ικανότητα του ατόμου να ξεπερνά καταστάσεις κρίσης που του δημιουργούν έντονο άγχος και ανασφάλεια και να συνεχίζει την εξέλιξή του. Η ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα εμπεριέχει τη δύναμη της θετικής σκέψης, καθώς και την ικανότητα του ατόμου να αναγνωρίζει τα δυνατά του σημεία και να τα χρησιμοποιεί για την επίλυση των ποικίλων αντιξοοτήτων που αντιμετωπίζει. Επιπλέον, σχετίζεται και με την αναζήτηση κατάλληλης βοήθειας. Για τα παιδιά η ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα είναι ένας ουσιαστικός μηχανισμός που μπορεί να τα βοηθήσει σημαντικά στην πρόληψη ψυχικών διαταραχών και στην ανάπτυξη γνωστικών και κοινωνικών δεξιοτήτων, ως παραγόντων προστατευτικών για την ψυχοσωματική τους υγεία. Ειδικότερα για τα παιδιά που έχουν υποστεί οποιασδήποτε μορφής κακοποίηση ή/και παραμέληση, η ανάπτυξη ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντική ώστε να βοηθηθούν να ξεπεράσουν τα άσχημα τραυματικά γεγονότα που έχουν υποστεί και να αναπτύξουν αισιόδοξη στάση απέναντι στη ζωή. Σκοπός της εισήγησης αυτής είναι να εξετάσει πώς η ανάπτυξη ψυχικής ανθεκτικότητας μπορεί να βοηθήσει ανηλίκους που βρίσκονται υπό την εποπτεία των συστημάτων παιδικής προστασίας σε Ελλάδα και Κύπρο, λόγω του ότι έχει αφαιρεθεί από τους βιολογικούς τους γονείς η επιμέλεια και η γονική μέριμνα, να αποβάλλουν τα αρνητικά βιώματά τους και να επανακτήσουν μια θετική στάση για τη ζωή. Συγκεκριμένα στην εισήγηση αυτή θα μελετηθεί η συμβολή της θετικής κοινωνικής εργασίας και της θεωρίας των δυνατών σημείων ώστε να χτιστεί η ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα σε ανηλίκους που έχουν υποστεί βία, κακοποίηση και παραμέληση, με αποτέλεσμα να παρέμβει η κοινωνική πρόνοια και η δικαιοσύνη και να απομακρυνθούν από το οικογενειακό τους περιβάλλον. Επίσης, θα διερευνηθούν οι προστατευτικοί παράγοντες εκείνοι που ενισχύουν τους ανηλίκους με τραυματικά βιώματα να αναπτύξουν τα δυνατά τους σημεία, να αποκτήσουν ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα και κατ’ επέκταση να μετατρέψουν την ευαλωτότητά τους σε κοινωνική προσαρμοστικότητα, απόδοση θετικότερου νοήματος στην καθημερινότητα και ελπίδα για τη μελλοντική τους πορεία.
Chapter
In this chapter we discuss the results of our research supported by relevant extant literature. We share the findings and the implications this research has for teacher practice and future research.
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This paper describes how individualized photobooks were used to support 3- and 4-year-old children in demonstrating their science learning and developing their science identity through participation in a science outreach program. Photographic images stimulate children’s visual thinking and allow them to provide explanations of complex concepts using their language, thus supporting children at their level of understanding. Twenty child/parent dyads were video-recorded interacting with the exhibits during a Science Outreach program into Western Australian community playgroups. Screen shots from the video-recordings were used to develop individual printed photobooks for each child. One week after the program, the photobooks were used in a photo-elicitation conversation with the children (accompanied by their parents) about how the exhibits worked. Children took their photobooks home and 7 weeks after the program parents were interviewed about how the photobooks were used. The photobooks were found to assist the children in demonstrating their science understandings by providing a context for conversation and allowing the children to show their competence, use multiple forms of communication (verbal, non-verbal and through parent), and participate or withdraw on their terms. At home, the photobooks were found to be a focus for the children to share their knowledge of the Outreach program with family members, give the children a voice, and provide them with time to express their understandings. Having the child as narrator of his/her story and the adult as listener empowered the child’s sense of identity. The use of individualized photobooks was found to contribute to the development of the children’s identity and increase their agency in science and enhanced the parents’ perceptions of their children as young scientists.
Article
This study aims to examine the effect of the instructional plan which includes workshops pedagogically modelling the exhibitions at science centres for an effective field trip, on high school students’ learning the concepts on ‘Simple Machines: Pulley and Levers’. In this study, a semi-experimental design with the pre- and post-test control group was used in a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. In this study, which was conducted in physics courses for four weeks, according to the convenience sampling method, one control and three experimental groups consisting of 9th-grade students (n = 32). Four groups were created as: traditional teaching in the control group, a field trip to the science centre after teaching the subject in the experimental group 1, workshop after the field trip to the science centre in the experimental group 2, a field trip to the science centres after the workshop in the experimental group 3. Simple machines concept test and semi-structured interview forms were used as data collection tools in the research. The research concluded that field trips that were made with the instructional plan containing workshops pedagogically modelling the exhibitions in the science centre had a significant effect on the conceptual achievements of the students.
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The new generation of science museums is characterized by exhibits that allow the visitors to experiment freely with natural phenomena. This setting provides a unique type of research laboratory for studying how people learn. Using examples from our work with children at the site of exhibits on light and vision, we illustrate the preconceptions the children bring to the situation and how these notions shape their interpretation of the phenomena they manipulate and observe. Furthermore, we show how a conceptual analysis of the exhibit, when tied to the visitors’ interpretations, can be used to modify the exhibit in ways that enhance the user's understanding of the science involved. The study of learning in science museums is a field in its infancy. In this article we indicate its potential as well as some problems and questions it can fruitfully address.
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The Naive Knowledge Study at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, took place over a three-and-one-half-year period ending in April 1992. It was both a research and application project to uncover widespread misconceptions about the concept of gravity held by museum visitors and to test the efficacy of hands-on exhibits in altering these naive notions. Exhibits were designed to counter typical and persistent misconceptions and enable visitors to shift from the naive knowledge of the “novice” to the more sophisticated understanding of the science “expert.” The study revealed that hands-on exhibits with carefully worded labels can, indeed, alter naive notions and open the door to new understanding.
Book
Howard Gardner’s brilliant conception of individual competence is changing the face of education today. In the ten years since the publication of his seminal Frames of Mind, thousands of educators, parents, and researchers have explored the practical implications of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory—the powerful notion that there are separate human capacities, ranging from musical intelligence to the intelligence involved in understanding oneself. Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice brings together previously published and original work by Gardner and his colleagues at Project Zero to provide a coherent picture of what we have learned about the educational applications of MI theory from projects in schools and formal research over the last decade.
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Follow‐up interviews with 79 adults and children about 6 months after a visit to Launch Pad, the interactive science centre in London's Science Museum, provide evidence of a long‐term impact of the visit. Although most of the memories were episodic rather than semantic in nature, over one‐quarter of the exhibit memories elicited showed evidence of respondents having reflected on the encounter, many of them reporting that they had related their experiences to existing knowledge or to programmes they had seen on television.
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It is argued that the place of interactive exhibits in science and technology centres will only be assured when their design and use is based on an empirically-justified model which encompasses both entertainment and learning. In the light of research at Questacon, the Australian National Science and Technology Centre, a model for the Personal Awareness of Science and Technology (PAST) is put forward here and an application is made of PAST to existing interactive exhibits. The ability of interactive exhibits, designed using the model, to withstand current criticisms is evaluated.
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Discusses the constructivist view of learning which emphasizes, among others, learning outcomes which depend not only on the learning environment but also on the knowledge of the learner. Implications for science instruction are also addressed. (JN)
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The Internet is a means of global communication that has revolutionized the dissemination and retrieval of information. As the public becomes technologically savvy, museums have the opportunity to use new technology to expand their reach. This article profiles both the average Internet user and average museum Website visitor. The Internet has the potential to amplify enrichment by making museums more universally accessible.
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This article reports on part of a larger study of how 11- and 12-year-old students construct knowledge about electricity and magnetism by drawing on aspects of their experiences during the course of a school visit to an interactive science museum and subsequent classroom activities linked to the science museum exhibits. The significance of this study is that it focuses on an aspect of school visits to informal learning centers that has been neglected by researchers in the past, namely the influence of post-visit activities in the classroom on subsequent learning and knowledge construction. This study provides evidence that the integrated series of post-visit activities resulted in students constructing and reconstructing their personal knowledge of science concepts and principles represented in the science museum exhibits, sometimes toward the accepted scientific understanding and sometimes in different and surprising ways. A descriptive interpretive approach was adopted, with principal data sources comprising student-generated concept maps and semistructured interviews at three stages of the study. Findings demonstrate the interrelationships between learning that occurs at school, home, and in informal learning settings. The study also underscores for classroom teachers and staff of science museums and similar centers the importance of planning pre- and post-visit activities. The importance of this planning is not only to support the development of scientific conceptions, but also to detect and respond to alternative conceptions that may be produced or strengthened during a visit to an informal learning center. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed84:658–679, 2000.
Article
This article received the ???Implications of Research for Educational Practice??? award at the 1995 meeting of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. The award is made possible by Carolina Biological Supply. An adaptation of this article, entitled ???Don???t Compare, Complement: Making Best Use of Science Centres and Museums,??? was published in the 1995 Set: Research Information for Teachers, Number 1, Item 1, by the New Zealand and Australian Councils for Education Research.
Article
Advisor: Martin Sharp. Paper (M. Ed.)--Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley, 1995.
Foreword Perspectives on object-centered learning in museums (pp. xv–xvii)
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Informal science learning: What research says about television, science museums, and community-based projects
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Perspectives on object-centered learning in museums
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Learning and the physical environment
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What research says about learning in science museums
  • E Feher
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Feher, E. & Diamond, J. (1990). Science centers as research laboratories. In Serrell, B. (Ed.), What research says about learning in science museums (pp. 26-28). Washington, DC: Association of Science-Technology Centers.