Informal Education Institutions Research Articles

An Informal Science Education Program’s Impact on STEM Major and STEM Career Outcomes

While there is extensive evidence that STEM careers can be important pathways for augmenting social mobility and for increasing individual prestige, many youth perceive a STEM trajectory as an unattractive option. In the USA, women and members of historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups continue to be underrepresented across STEM disciplines. One vehicle for generating and sustaining interest in STEM is providing youth long-term access to informal science education (ISE) institutions. Here, we incorporate triangulation methods, collecting and synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative data, to examine how participation in a longitudinal ISE out-of-school time (OST) program facilitated by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) impacted the STEM trajectories of 66 alumni. Findings revealed that 83.2% of alumni engaged in a STEM major, and 63.1% in a STEM career, the majority whom were females and/or members of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Based on interviews with a purposeful sample of 21 AMNH alumni, we identified four program design principles that contributed to persistence in STEM: (1) affording multiple opportunities to become practitioners of science; (2) providing exposure to and repeated experiences with STEM professionals such as scientists, educators, and graduate students to build social networks; (3) furnishing opportunities for participants to develop shared science identities with like-minded individuals; and (4) offering exposure to and preparation for a variety of STEM majors and STEM careers so that youth can engage in discovering possible selves. These findings support our central thesis that long-term engagement in ISE OST programs fosters persistence in STEM.

Towards Sensorial Approaches to Visual Research with Racially Diverse Young Men

This is a collaborative ethnographic research project that highlights the artistic, literary contributions of racially diverse young men. It uses Critical Race Theory to question conventional, Eurocentric educational approaches that historically and currently continue to suppress various socially and culturally learned modes of communication. This article presents two research projects in urban and suburban formal and informal educational institutions to highlight multimodal literary approaches. The first project is an amalgamation of two critical, ethnographic case studies that explores how racially diverse young men express their literacy through rap and spoken word poetry. The second project uses ethnographic methods to observe racially diverse young men’s production of films and photographs in high school, community centers, and art gallery spaces. This study uses visual methods coupled with affect and sensory-laden approaches to collect data and conduct an analysis. The article reflects on conversations surrounding young men, particularly racialized young men, their relationship with literacy, and how these conversations are founded on their failure and deficit language about their literacy repertoires. We believe that such research is closely tied with other social justice themes and modes of inquiry. This article steers away from the ways racialized young men do not use literacy, and focuses instead on the ways that they do use literacy. Their literacy practices are predominantly visual in nature, frequently accompanied by other modes such as words and moving images. Fitting within the scope of the special issue on social justice and visual methods, we argue for a greater acknowledgement and analytical gaze on sensory and affective nuances within visual research. This approach adds texture and volume to interpreting racialized young men’s narratives. Interrogating their visuals and talking through their narratives that have agentive qualities gives both researchers an awareness of young men’s emotional worlds, and how the visual allows for sense-laden, agentive meaning-making.

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.

Perencanaan Strategi TIK Proses Belajar Mengajar di Learning Center

BINUS Center is the informal educational institution that organizes IT and language training. Inrecent years the revenue BINUS Center continues to decrease, it is evident from the outlet BINUS Center decreased from year to year. The purpose of making this research is to make strategy planning Business & ICT, create new models of learning supported by ICT strategy,test and measure the results obtained, and then made some strategic ideas at the moment and will come in the form of short-term priorities, medium and long term. The result is a cost that can be in the efficiency, a more flexible, first-class runs with a minimal number of participants, participant satisfaction, and competitive advantage.
 Keywords: business strategy, ICT strategy, business process improvement, priority.

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.

STRATEGI PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER DI SEKOLAH

Character education is expected to be the culture of the school. The success of the character education program can be seen through the reflection of the actions and decisions when interacting among fellow students, and the attitude displayed in everyday life reflects the values of real character, the call of conscience in him. Character education in schools is only one vehicle for learners to get a more mature character education. The real character education is not only found in formal educational institutions, but in informal education institutions, such as families and communities. Inforfal education is the first step for the character building of children in school, because parents are also responsible for educating their children.

SUPERVIZIJA U INSTITUCIJAMA FORMALNOG I NEFORMALNOG OBRAZOVANJA

Polazeći od stanovišta da kontinuirani profesionalni razvoj treba da bude jedan od prioriteta obrazovne politike, u radu se ukazuje na potrebu preispitivanja, reorganizacije, unapređivanja postojećih i kreiranje novih metoda i oblika profesionalnog razvoja stručnjaka u oblasti obrazovanja. Jedna od metoda koja u značajnoj meri može da doprinese unapređenju profesionalnih kompetencija zaposlenih u vaspitno-obrazovnoj delatnosti jeste supervizija. U skladu sa tim, cilj rada usmeren je na razmatranje pretpostavki razvoja supervizije u institucijama formalnog i neformalnog obrazovanja. Polazeći od određenja pojma, karakteristika i ključnih funkcija supervizije, poseban akcenat je stavljen na analizu potencijala razvojno-integrativnog modela supervizije, kao modela koji se pokazao najadekvatnijim okvirom efikasne i delotvorne supervizije u vaspitno-obrazovnoj delatnosti. Takođe, razmatrane su osnovne pretpostavke, neophodni uslovi i prepreke za implementaciju i razvoj supervizije u institucijama formalnog i neformalnog obrazovanja. Zaključuje se da supervizija, a posebno razvojno-integrativna supervizija, treba da bude prepoznata kao poželjan metod koji pruža kontinuitet i održivost u profesionalnom razvoju pojedinca, ali i ekspertsku podršku zaposlenima u vaspitno-obrazovnoj delatnosti, nakon što su izašli iz sistema formalnog obrazovanja.

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

과학관에서의 사용자 참여 행동과 상호작용적 경험

In allowing visitors to manipulate objects or models with their hands, science museums can become informal education institutions. However, little research has been conducted analyzing the specific interactions of visitors at museums and the effects that specific characteristics of interactive exhibit have on visitors. This research classified exhibits according to the three characteristics: the presentation of concepts, interaction with exhibits and concept levels. Further, relationships among engagement behaviors, visitors’attraction to exhibits, and the holding power of exhibits were analyzed. Using the three characteristics, 55 exhibits were classified into five styles. The results suggest that intriguing content and novel interfaces, maximizing information on science and technology, should be developed for the educational purpose of encouraging visitors to engage in active learning with interactive exhibits. The results of this study provide useful data that planners, designers, and instructors of science museums can use to maximize visitors’ participatory learning and interactions.

Technology-enhanced learning and co-operative practice against the neoliberal university

ABSTRACTNeoliberalism is a global pedagogical project aimed at the dispossession of free time so that all of life becomes productive, and education is a central institutional means for its realisation. This project aims at marketising all of social life, so that life becomes predicated upon the extraction of value. In part the deployment of technologies, technical services, and techniques enables education to be co-opted as an institutional means for production and control. This occurs inside both formal and informal educational institutions and spaces, like universities and Massive Open On-line Courses, as one mechanism to offset the tendency for the rate of profit to fall and to re-establish accumulation. This pedagogic project also tends to recalibrate and enclose the roles of staff and students as entrepreneurial subjects, whose labour is enabled through technology. This is achieved through learning analytics, big data, mobility and flexibility of provision, and so on. At issue is the extent to which this neoliberal project can be resisted or refused, and alternatives described. This article will analyse the relationships between technology, pedagogy, and the critical subject in the neoliberal University, in order to argue for the use of technology inside a co-operative pedagogy of struggle. This demands that we ask what education is, before we ask what it is for, or the place of technology-enhanced learning in the university. The article considers whether it is possible to uncover ways in which education might be used for co-operation rather than competition, and what technology-enhanced co-operative education might look like?

Rola muzeów w rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczym państwa

The article is a theoretical analysis identifying the sources of the growth in importance of museums in many contemporary societies. It shows how the evolution of museum functions broadens the range of their activities and encourages them to diversify financing. Such a development contributes in turn to the growth of the economic significance of museums. The article also discusses methodological problems that make it very difficult to identify the optimum level and modes of public financing. It also points to the non-pecuniary nature of social benefits as the main cause with the economic optimisation of public subsidies to museums. The article argues that the quantitative expansion of the sector of museums stems in large part from their transformation from an institution of heritage protection into institutions of informal education and entertainment.

Determinants of Fertilizer Use in Arable Crop Production among Small Holder Farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

Over the last three decades food insecurity is increasing in the nations of the world, different strategies were embarked upon to prevent the explosion of this problem one of which is the innovation of improved input materials for agriculture. The use of fertilizer is a result of improved technologies put in place; and since it was introduced farmers have different perception about it, hence difference in level of use of fertilizer among farmers which is due to different factors. The study evaluated the factors influencing the use of fertilizer in arable crop production among smallholder farmers in Osun State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was adopted to obtained information from 120 respondents using purposive and random selection. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results showed that total farm output in naira, level of education, farm size, number of farmland owned and total cost of crop inputs were important factors influencing farmers’ use of fertilizer in arable crop production while gender, age, family size, price of fertilizer and income from other farm enterprise owned by farmers were not significant and can constitute the constraints to the use of fertilizer. Based on these, it was recommended that government and other policy makers therefore need to increase farmers’ knowledge and skills through formal and informal educational institutions such as extension services, public awareness programs to enhance the use of fertilizer among arable crop farmers, resulting in increase in agricultural productivity and food security of the country.

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.

Vaikų ir jaunimo socializacijai palanki aplinka: neformaliojo ugdymo kontekstas Vilniaus mieste

Today, in the world which is getting more perfect, computerized, integrated, there is an increasing variety of problems and dangers for young and yet unformed personality’s socialization in to the real-value life, society. Also, the changes in the education system shows that there is a lack of state attention to the children and youth socialization and the organization for their occupation, leisure activities. The research objective is to analyse the educational functions of the children’s informal education institutions through the socialization aspect. The goals of the research: the scientific literature-based revelation of the influence of the informal education on a child in the positive socialization context, summarize teachers’ views on the informal education to a child’s socialization process, to reveal the parents’ and children’s reasons that determinant to attend informal education activities. To achieve the objectives, were used the following research methods: the analysis of scientific literature and the documents, the empirical study. The analysis of the scientific literature have shown that for the child’s socialization is particularly important the leisure activity because it makes conditions for the development of the creative powers, initiative, to compile moral experience, to develop skills and competencies. The children choose the informal educational activities and attends circles because they think it is interesting and useful activities that appropriates to their interests. The parents are concerned that their child (children) would attend educational circles in informal education institutions, because this activity helps to improve children’s creativity, they can reach self-realization and to unfold their potential, and learn how to communicate and collaborate, to develop their competence needed for the future life. Keywords: children, youth, positive socialization, prevention, informal education. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/su.2014.09

"Not Designed for Us": How Science Museums and Science Centers Socially Exclude Low-Income, Minority Ethnic Groups.

This paper explores how people from low-income, minority ethnic groups perceive and experience exclusion from informal science education (ISE) institutions, such as museums and science centers. Drawing on qualitative data from four focus groups, 32 interviews, four accompanied visits to ISE institutions, and field notes, this paper presents an analysis of exclusion from science learning opportunities during visits alongside participants’ attitudes, expectations, and conclusions about participation in ISE. Participants came from four community groups in central London: a Sierra Leonean group (n = 21), a Latin American group (n = 18), a Somali group (n = 6), and an Asian group (n = 13). Using a theoretical framework based on the work of Bourdieu, the analysis suggests ISE practices were grounded in expectations about visitors’ scientific knowledge, language skills, and finances in ways that were problematic for participants and excluded them from science learning opportunities. It is argued that ISE practices reinforced participants preexisting sense that museums and science centers were “not for us.” The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings in relation to previous research on participation in ISE and the potential for developing more inclusive informal science learning opportunities.

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.