Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings

How do children begin to make the transition from seeing the natural world to scientifically observing the natural world? This study explored how differences in parent conversational strategies and disciplinary knowledge impact children’s experience observing biological phenomena during shared informal learning. A total of 79 parent–child pairs with children ages 6–10 participated in a controlled study in which half of the parents used their natural conversational style and the other half were trained to use 4 conversational strategies during family observations of pollination in a botanical garden. Parents were also assigned to high- and low-knowledge groups according to their knowledge of pollination biology. Findings suggest that parents who received training used the conversational strategies more than parents who used their natural conversational style. Parents and children who knew more about pollination at the start of the study exhibited higher levels of disciplinary talk in the garden. However, the use of the conversational strategies also increased the amount of disciplinary talk in the garden. The extent to which families engaged in disciplinary talk in the garden predicted significant variance in what children learned from the experience. An extended example illustrates how shared family noticing and conversation may support learning to observe nature.

Abstract A common goal of science museums is to support the public in science inquiry by engaging groups of visitors with interactive exhibits. This article summarizes the efforts of a team of researchers and practitioners to extend and deepen such inquiry by explicitly coaching families in the skills of scientific inquiry at interactive exhibits. The first phase of the project, reported here, involved designing a “best case” program that worked for small groups of casual visitors under ideal circumstances, facilitated by an experienced educator in a quiet laboratory near the public floor. The final program, called Inquiry Games , taught visitors to sandwich their spontaneous physical experimentation between two additional phases: asking a question to drive their investigation at the beginning; and interpreting the results of their investigation at the end. Provisional evaluation data suggest that the Inquiry Games improved visitors' inquiry behavior in several ways and was rated as very enjoyable by them. Encouraged by these indicators, we suggest ways in which this program might be implemented on the open museum floor.

Science education today has become increasingly focused on research into complex natural, social and technological systems. In this study, we examined the development of high-school biology students’ systems understanding of the human body, in a three-year longitudinal study. The development of the students’ system understanding was evaluated using the Components Mechanisms Phenomena (CMP) framework for conceptual representation. We coded and analysed the repertory grid personal constructs of 67 high-school biology students at 4 points throughout the study. Our data analysis builds on the assumption that systems understanding entails a perception of all the system categories, including structures within the system (its Components), specific processes and interactions at the macro and micro levels (Mechanisms), and the Phenomena that present the macro scale of processes and patterns within a system. Our findings suggest that as the learning process progressed, the systems understanding of our students became more advanced, moving forward within each of the major CMP categories. Moreover, there was an increase in the mechanism complexity presented by the students, manifested by more students describing mechanisms at the molecular level. Thus, the ‘mechanism’ category and the micro level are critical components that enable students to understand system-level phenomena such as homeostasis.

Development of learning progressions has been at the forefront of science education for several years. While understanding students’ conceptual development toward “big ideas” in science is extremely valuable for researchers, science teachers can also benefit from assessment tools that diagnose their students’ trajectories along the learning progressions. In this paper, we describe the development and validation of a teacher-friendly survey, the Structure and Motion of Matter (SAMM) survey, designed to measure students’ trajectories along aspects of a research-based learning progression on the particulate nature of matter. Specifically, the survey assesses students’ implicit assumptions about four concepts: the structure of solute and solvent substances in a gas solution, the origin of motion of gaseous solute particles, and their trajectories. The process to ensure the translation validity (face and content validity) of the survey is described. Criterion validity study results indicate that the SAMM survey is well grounded in theory, and the test–retest study results indicate that the survey is also reliable. Finally, the development of an Excel-based scoring scheme associated with the SAMM survey is also described. Inter-rater reliability studies indicate that the scoring scheme can be used reliably.

The International Year of Chemistry (IYC) provides a tremendous opportunity for academic chemists to engage in achieving several of the stated objectives of the IYC through involvement in K−12 (precollege) science education. Relevant IYC objectives include increasing the public appreciation and understanding of chemistry in meeting world needs, encouraging the interest of young people in chemistry, and generating enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry. Academic chemists are uniquely positioned to support these efforts given their extensive personal knowledge of chemistry and their understanding of the skills and knowledge students need to be successful in scientific research and coursework at the college level. These efforts promise to benefit academic chemists in several ways, including reinforcing their own excitement about science as they deliberately engage in inspiring K−12 students to enjoy science more; improving K−12 students’ readiness for college coursework; and enhanced public understanding of the purpose, goals, and benefits of scientific research and the need for public funding of this research. Academic chemists can engage with K−12 science improvement efforts in myriad ways, including outreach and internship programs for high school students, developing and implementing programs that help secondary science teachers increase their content knowledge and research skills, and participating in policy initiatives around science education reform, among others.

Abstract The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the National Research Council report Learning Science in Informal Environments to synthesize the growing body of diverse research underlying informal science learning. Intended outcomes were to establish a base for future research, to provide evidence‐based guidance for those developing and delivering informal learning experiences, to broaden the definition of “learning” beyond that typically used in formal education, to encourage knowledge sharing across the heterogeneous informal science education field, and to provide a measure of external validation for the value of learning in informal settings. NSF investment in this study is part of a larger ongoing effort by the Informal Science Education program to advance knowledge and practice and build capacity in the field.

Underscored by a long overdue call to challenge racism in teacher education (TE), we set forth to examine our own university TE classrooms to understand how we are both perpetuating and disrupting systemic racism and decentering whiteness, such that we can move toward sustained antiracist pedagogy for ourselves, our institutions, teacher candidates, and school communities. Undergirded by Critical Race Theory, this paper presents the development of an Antiracist Pedagogy Course Audit– a tool to develop instructor capacity to engage in critically reflective practices in five key areas: 1) Instructor Critical Consciousness; 2) Understanding Students’ Backgrounds and Experiences; 3) Course Readings and Content; 4) Classroom Learning Environment; and 5) Assignments and Assessments. We describe early implementation, process-oriented mechanisms for adaption, and applications of the tool in an early childhood education teacher education course.

Abstract Mathematics teacher leadership is promising, yet complex work, and research interest in this form of leadership is on the rise. This systematic review takes stock of the current research landscape on mathematics teacher leadership, specifically mathematics specialists as teacher leaders (MSTLs), and approaches the questions: (1) What are the historical publication trends for MSTLs? and (2) What are the various methods, research questions, and framing used in research design for MSTLs? For this review, we use a subset of articles focused on in‐service MSTLs that are part of a larger systematic review that includes constructs such as coaching, mathematics specialists (MS), and other forms of leading teachers. Findings provide evidence that research on MSTLs is certainly on the rise, with nearly 90% of the MSTL research originating in the last decade and published within mainly general education journals. Furthermore, the majority of MSTL studies were qualitative in nature, answered research questions centered on leader interactions with others and leader reactions to professional development programs, and used various theories and constructs to ground the work. Overall, this study extends what is known about the research surrounding MSTLs, illuminates the complexities of this work, and discusses future directions for the field.

Abstract This article examines museum and academic library professionals’ perceptions of leadership, leader development, and the nature of leader development opportunities available to them. We compare these perceptions based on functional positions of staff as senior, middle, or non‐managers, which facilitates a deeper understanding of the data. Analysis reveals there are significant differences in the perception of leadership and leader practices between managers (senior and middle) and non‐managers; this gap is prevalent in both museums and academic libraries. There are also significant differences with respect to what leader development activities are available to whom and who is selected for these activities. Results point to the need for more intentional, equitable, and focused efforts to develop leader capacity so that museums and libraries are better positioned to meet current and future societal challenges. Finally, we provide some suggestions for future practice and research.