Informal Science Education Institutions Research Articles

Insect zoos and butterfly houses for public education: issues related to shipping and international trade of non-native insects.

Informal science education institutions such as zoos, natural history museums and botanical gardens exhibit live native and exotic insects and other arthropods to improve the general public's knowledge about these organisms and promote their conservation in nature. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the process of shipping exotic arthropods for exhibits and the regulations that apply, and to discuss issues that affect international shipment for this type of activity. These issues include escapes affecting the environment and delays affecting the viability of shipped insects. The regulatory agencies that issue permits for the importation of live insects for education and exhibit are discussed. The number of butterflies flying in the exhibits ranges from 100 specimens at the Butterfly Encounter of the Connecticut Science Center to a high of 15,000 specimens at the Dubai Butterfly Garden, with a mean of 2,048 specimens (n = 32). If the outlier of 15,000 is removed, the mean is 1,630 (n = 31). Insect zoos and butterfly exhibits play an overwhelmingly positive educational role by introducing millions of children and adults to the immensely important world of insects.

Creating cultural refugia to transform the boundaries of science.

This paper is a reflection on Bobby Habig, Preeti Gupta, and Jennifer Adams’ article Disrupting deficit narratives in informal science education: Amplifying community cultural wealth theory to youth learning and engagement. The article examines the significance of community cultural capital and the need for informal STEM institutions to engage more deliberately with the knowledge and lived experiences that youth bring to programs they participate in. In my response, I question whether the informal science institution of study had changed in response to these young people. As a ‘science insider,’ I explore how research experiences in informal science education institutions such as museums are tightly bounded by and connected with ancient European scientific practices that limit a deep embrace of community cultural wealth. If the aim is for youth to develop their science identities, then these informal science education institutions need to question what kind of science people they are asking youth to become. I consider how informal science education institutions might remake themselves as cultural refugia, where interrogation of the dominant Eurocentric norms of what science is can be challenged and transformed.

Equitable Access to Informal Science Education Institutions

Science for all is a global educational pursuit; however, the realities in formal science education show that it is a goal still challenged by inequitable outcomes that are marked by gender, race/ethnicity, language, culture, and socioeconomic status. Whether these inequities persist in the informal settings still remained a question that is open for more investigation. This empirical study aims to examine the factors that relate to access to informal science education institutions. A representative sample of 1611 Taiwanese adults was asked if they have visited six popular informal science education institutions in the last 12 months. Nine factors related to travel distance, social demography, and scientific literacy, were included to explain the likelihood of visiting each institution. The findings showed that the travel distance, education, presence of children, interest in scientific issues, and attitudes toward these institutions were statistically significant predictors of visitation. The paper provides empirical and practical implications to help informal science educators and policy makers to ensure equitable access to these institutions for all.

Fostering Conversation about Synthetic Biology Between Publics and Scientists: A Comparison of Approaches and Outcomes.

Public engagement with science (PES) is an emerging outreach method that builds trust between scientists and public audiences by encouraging two-way conversations and mutual learning about science content and societal values. Building with Biology, a PES initiative focused on synthetic biology, distributed 182 kits with two types of products to informal science education institutions across the United States: 1) hands-on activities for public events, and 2) materials to run public dialogue programs, called forums. This article compares the interest levels, perceived value, and learning of public participants at these events and forums. Forum participants reported slightly higher levels of increased interest in future activities related to PES and synthetic biology; valued aspects of interpersonal interactions central to dialogue-based programming; and described learning about societal decision-making around synthetic biology. Event participants valued enjoyment and access to content and reported slightly larger learning gains. The current study may help program coordinators and educators thoughtfully select a PES product type that promotes outcomes aligned with their goals: events featuring hands-on activities may support greater understanding of scientific relevance, and forum programs might encourage learning and behavior that leads to deliberative processes.

Alignment between informal educator perceptions and audience expectations of climate change education

ABSTRACTTo understand the complexities of climate change on educator-visitor relationships, we compared educators' perceptions with audiences' expectations for informal science education institutions. Our findings suggest two disconnects: (a) a professional recognition that climate change education is related to institutional mission but a lack of intentional integration of this issue into programming and (b) a misalignment between what educators believe visitors “need to know” and what visitors say they “need to know.” These findings indicate institutions' need to discuss how climate change topics integrate with ongoing education efforts and how to best approach messaging and support staff to meet audience expectations.

A day at the museum: The impact of field trips on middle school science achievement

AbstractField trips are an important feature of the United States’ education system, although in the current context of high‐stakes tests and school accountability, many schools are shifting resources away from enrichment. It is critical to understand how field trips and other informal learning experiences contribute to student test scores, but little research has explored the impact of field trips on standard measures of academic learning. In this study, I used 6 years of student‐level data to estimate the impact of field trips to informal science education institutions on New York City students’ performance on the state's standardized eighth‐grade science exam. Using a rigorous identification strategy with school fixed effects to capitalize on variation in field trip participation within schools over time, I found small positive effects of exposure to field trips on students’ science test scores and proficiency. Effects were largest for Hispanic students and those who qualified for free or reduced‐price lunch. This evidence that field trips can contribute positively to student achievement is meaningful for policymakers and administrators, as it suggests schools can provide enrichment experiences that families desire without sacrificing student test scores. The study suggests that field trips might be an effective tool for reducing achievement gaps. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53:1036–1054, 2016

Bilingual Spanish-English Intergenerational Groups' Experiences in Bilingual Exhibitions

The Bilingual Exhibits Research Initiative examined the extent to which Spanish-speaking groups (defined as intergenerational groups who speak Spanish most or all of the time at home) engage in and use Spanish–English bilingual interpretation in informal science education institutions. Thirty-two bilingual Spanish-speaking groups were observed and interviewed about their visit to a bilingual exhibition. Groups were observed to read and talk in both Spanish and English. Adults were more likely to use Spanish compared to children, who used English more often. The groups often engaged in code switching, going back and forth seamlessly between the two languages. The findings confirmed that access to content is an important affordance of including bilingual interpretation, since ability to read in English often varied in intergenerational Spanish-speaking groups. Further research is needed to expand on this exploratory study to determine how institutions can most effectively employ bilingual interpretation for Spanish-speaking visitor groups, given that the use of bilingual interpretation was more complex than originally envisioned.

Museums, zoos, and gardens: how formal-informal partnerships can impact urban students' performance in science.

Informal science education institutions (ISEIs) are critical partners in public science education, as they support the science efforts of school systems by providing authentic opportunities for scientific inquiry. This study reports findings from an evaluation of urban advantage (UA), a collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and eight ISEIs designed to improve science education in New York City (NYC) middle schools. Now in its 10th year, the program harnesses the resources and expertise of NYC's ISEIs to (a) enhance the science content knowledge of middle school science teachers, (b) develop teachers' skills at using inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms, and (c) improve the science achievement of middle school students. We examine whether the UA program has led to increased student achievement on the eighth-grade New York State standardized science exam for students in participating schools; in supplemental analyses, we examine the effects on longer term (ninth-grade) outcomes. We use a difference-in-differences framework with school fixed effects to estimate the impact of attending a UA school in eighth grade on science achievement. Our key outcome is performance on New York State's eighth-grade intermediate-level science assessment; longer term outcomes include enrollment at specialized science, technology, engineering, and math high schools as well as taking and passing the high school (Regents) science exams. We find that attending a UA school increases student performance on the eighth-grade science exam by approximately 0.05 SD, and there is some evidence of small effects on Regents taking and passing rates.

Ecoliteracy in informal science education settings

Ecoliteracy in informal science education settings

Clarifying the complexities of school–museum interactions: Perspectives from two communities

AbstractIf we truly wish to promote science or STEM education, then it would seem that the joining of resources and expertise from the communities of formal schooling and informal science education institutions or ISEIs (museums, aquariums, and the like) would be an important early step. Yet creating such connections between teacher and museum remain a challenge for both teachers and informal educators. This study employs a communities of practice lens (Wenger, 1998) to provide a deeper explanation for the challenges inherent in those programs and experiences (field trips, outreach programs, teacher professional development) where schools and informal science institutions interact to create unique learning opportunities. To better understand the expectations and perceived challenges of these boundary activities, questionnaires, focus groups and interviews were used to gather information from over 200 teachers and informal science institution staff in southern California. Several factors, identified by both groups, were found to influence these shared experiences, including issues of authority, capacity, communication, and complexity. By considering both educators' perspectives, we gain a clearer understanding of the practice of these communities and how such practices influence the activities at these boundaries. Furthermore, a closer look at avid users—those teachers who do successfully and regularly make use of ISEIs—reveals possible avenues for strengthening such boundary activities and potentially creating a more effective merging of learning and teaching resources. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51: 342–367, 2014

Successful Professional Learning for Informal Educators: What Is It and How Do We Get There?

This investigation seeks to understand what constitutes successful professional learning for informal educators, and thus contributes to the research base needed for developing a professional infrastructure for the informal education field. This study draws on summative evaluation research for the national field trial of a professional learning (PL) program intentionally designed for informal educators. Seventeen informal educators from ten informal science education institutions share their experiences implementing the program with their colleagues, and reflect upon the extent to which they believe the program was successful. Interview data reveal there are four changes in educators' practice that can be used to indicate success of the PL program, and several key supports that help ensure success. Findings from this investigation offer insights for developing the practice and profession of informal educators, specifically, and for advancing the field, in general.

Successful Professional Learning for Informal Educators: What Is It and How Do We Get There?

This investigation seeks to understand what constitutes successful professional learning for informal educators, and thus contributes to the research base needed for developing a professional infrastructure for the informal education field. This study draws on summative evaluation research for the national field trial of a professional learning (PL) program intentionally designed for informal educators. Seventeen informal educators from ten informal science education institutions share their experiences implementing the program with their colleagues, and reflect upon the extent to which they believe the program was successful. Interview data reveal there are four changes in educators' practice that can be used to indicate success of the PL program, and several key supports that help ensure success. Findings from this investigation offer insights for developing the practice and profession of informal educators, specifically, and for advancing the field, in general.

Turning Visitors into Citizens: Using Social Science for Civic Engagement in Informal Science Education Centers

How can museums and other informal learning institutions cultivate greater civic engagement among the visiting public around important social issues? This case study of the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpreters' (NNOCCI) professional learning community illustrates how insights from the social sciences can be productively integrated into existing museum interpretation practice. NNOCCI partnered with social scientists at the FrameWorks Institute to strengthen interpreters' capacity to improve museum climate literacy efforts through Strategic Frame Analysis™, an approach to communications research and practice that identifies how the public's deeply held worldviews impact civic participation. Key insights from FrameWorks' original research on the topics of climate change and oceans formed the content of training curriculum. Based on feedback from pilot participants, an interactive pedagogy suited to the museum education context was developed and expanded to reach 150 informal science education institutions through 2015.

Introducing Future Teachers to Science Beyond the Classroom

Informal science education institutions (ISEIs), such as museums, aquariums, and nature centers, offer more to teachers than just field trip destinations—they have the potential to provide ideas for pedagogy, as well as support deeper development of teachers’ science knowledge. Although there is extensive literature related to teacher/museum interactions within the context of the school field trip, there is limited research that examines other ways that such institutions might support classroom teachers. A growing number of studies, however, examine how incorporating such ideas of connections of ISEIs to pre-service teacher education might improve teacher perceptions and awareness. Pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in a science methods class participated in a semester-long assignment which required participation in their choice of activities and events (workshops, field trips, family day activities) conducted at local ISEIs. Students generally saw this embedded assignment as beneficial, despite the additional out-of-class time required for completion. Comparison of pre-/post-class responses suggested that teachers shifted their perceptions of ISEIs as first and foremost as places for field trips or hands-on experiences, to institutions that can help teachers with classroom science instruction. Although basic awareness of the existence of such opportunities was frequently cited, teachers also recognized these sites as places that could enhance their teaching, either by providing materials/resources for the classroom or by helping them learn (content and pedagogy) as teachers. Implications for practice, including the role of ISEIs in teacher preparation and indication, are also discussed.

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences: A Scientist-Educator Partnership to Prepare the Next Generation of Scientists

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) is a college course that creates and develops partnerships between science educators in informal science education institutions, such as museums, science centers and aquariums, and ocean scientists in colleges and universities. For the course, a scientist and educator team-teach inquiry-based science pedagogy and communication strategies to graduate and undergraduate students in marine science-related majors. In addition, students participate in practicum experiences in informal science education institutions. COSIA aims to engage the next generation of scientists (college students) in learning to communicate their scientific knowledge with the general public. This paper describes how this course and the resulting partnership address some major issues in scientific literacy, as well as how they benefit all the stakeholders (scientists, science educators, college students, and visitors to informal science institutions). Three central challenges to creating partnerships and how they were addressed are outlined, and several underlying principles for initiating and growing partnerships between individuals and institutions are presented. Through the process of engagement in this effort and the development of partnerships between educators' and scientists' communities of practice, it is argued that a new hybrid community of practice may be emerging.

Space Weather Outreach: An informal education perspective

Informal science education institutions, such as science centers, play an important role in science education. They serve millions of people, including students and teachers. Within the last decade, many have tried to improve the public’s understanding of science and scientific research through informal education projects. The recent success of several space weather-related missions and research programs and the launch of the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) research and education programs make this an ideal time to inform the public about the importance and relevance of space weather to our understanding of heliophysical science. Communication efforts associated with space weather both benefit and are compromised by analogies to terrestrial weather. This paper summarizes the benefits and challenges of the terrestrial weather analogy using two exhibit evaluation studies. The paper also describes three components of the Space Science Institute’s Space Weather Outreach Program – Space Weather Center Website, Educator Workshops, and Small Exhibits – and how they can help to achieve the education goals of IHY.