Supporting Self-Directed Learning in Science and Technology Beyond the School Years

While much has been written about science education from pre-K through to postgraduate study, interaction with science and technology does not stop when schooling ends. Moving beyond scholarship on conventional education, this book extends the research and provides an original in-depth look at adult and lifelong learning in science and technology. By identifying the knowledge and skills that individuals need to engage in self-directed learning, the book highlights how educators can best support adult learners beyond the years of formal schooling. Through case studies and empirical analysis, the authors offer a research-based exploration of adults’ self-directed learning and provide tools to support adults’ learning experiences in a wide range of environments while being inclusive of all educational backgrounds

Meaningful informed consent with young children: looking forward through an interactive narrative approach

Ideas about ethical research with young children are evolving at a rapid rate. Not only can young children participate in the informed consent process, but researchers now also recognize that the process must be meaningful for them. As part of a larger study, this article reviews children's rights and informed consent literature as the foundation for the development of a new conceptual model of meaningful early childhood informed consent. Based on this model, an ‘interactive narrative’ approach is presented as a means to inform three- to eight-year-old children about what their participation might involve and to assist them to understand and respond as research participants. For use with small groups, this approach revolves around a storybook based on research-related factual images delivered via interactive (re)telling. This narrative approach to informed consent is unique in its holistic design which seeks to address the specific needs of young children in research

The roles of the formal and informal sectors in the provision of effective science education

For many years, formal school science education has been criticised by students, teachers, parents and employers throughout the world. This article presents an argument that a greater collaboration between the formal and the informal sector could address some of these criticisms. The causes for concern about formal science education are summarised and the major approaches being taken to address them are outlined. The contributions that the informal sector currently makes to science education are identified. It is suggested that the provision of an effective science education entails an enhanced complementarity between the two sectors. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the collaboration and communication still needed if this is to be effective

Adults' Learning About Science in Free-Choice Settings

This paper synthesizes findings from three studies to answer a general question: What do casual, adult visitors learn about science from their science-related experiences in free-choice settings? Specifically we asked whether there are changes in how people think about science in their daily lives, the nature and use of scientific knowledge, and its communication by scientists. The three studies involved samples of visitors to an interactive science centre, visitors to a traditional natural history museum, and attendees at a series of public lectures, each given by an expert scientist in human genetics. Pretest and post-test data collected by parallel questionnaires indicated that, despite the different nature of their experience in the three different settings, participants became more positive about the value of science and the work done by scientists and their ability to communicate with the public. At all venues, however, participants became less scientific in their thinking about the nature of scientific knowledge, becoming more likely to believe it to be infallible. The consistency of these findings was surprising, and participants’ changed views about the nature of scientific knowledge were unexpected. Possible explanations for theses outcomes were suggested in terms of participants’ reasons for attending the venue, the nature of their engagement, and the non-controversial ways in which the exhibitions and lectures were structured. The findings suggest that the educational role of free-choice settings should be considered carefully, particularly with regard to the representation of science

Knowledge that Counts in a Global Community: Exploring the contribution of integrated curriculum

As the third millennium progresses, we are faced with increasing pressures relating to climate change and the sustainability of life on Earth. Concerned citizens are realizing that the responsibility to respond is both local and global. There is an increasing sense of urgency about the need to reform the processes of schooling and curriculum to better prepare students for global citizenship. Educators, policy makers and the wider community are seeking information about how to proceed with this reform effort, particularly how alternative and integrated approaches to curriculum can be used to engage students with the important issues of our time. Knowledge that Counts in a Global Community explores the potential contribution of curriculum integration in a context where school curricula are typically segregated by discipline. It offers curriculum integration as a powerful tool for educating young citizens so that they can understand and respond to global concerns. It argues for an informed citizenry who can think broadly across disciplines, and contribute sensibly and pragmatically to local problems with an eye on how this translates to making a global difference. In its examination of the twin themes of global knowledge and curriculum integration, the book explores: the nature of curriculum integration the nature of knowledge the nature of learning The authors reflect on these issues from perspectives gained by more than a decade of research in the area. Their in-depth, scholarly exploration and critical analysis of current approaches to curriculum, introduces educators and academics to contemporary ways of conceptualizing the complexities of, and relationships among curriculum integration, knowledge and learning. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the central curriculum question, what kinds of outcomes do we want for students of the twenty-first century? This book will provide a valuable resource for academic educators, researchers, teachers and others interested in educational policy reform

Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Issues, Reflections, and Ways Forward

How can curriculum integration of school science with the related disciplines of technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) enhance students’ skills and their ability to link what they learn in school with the world outside the classroom? Featuring actual case studies of teachers’ attempts to integrate their curriculum, their reasons for doing so, how they did it, and their reflections on the outcomes, this book encourages science educators to consider the purposes and potential outcomes of this approach and raises important questions about the place of science in the school curriculum. It takes an honest approach to real issues that arise in curriculum integration in a range of education contexts at the elementary and middle school levels. The clear documentation and critical analysis of the contribution of science in curriculum integration―its implementation and its strengths and weaknesses―will assist teachers, science educators, and researchers to understand how this approach can work to engage students and improve their learning, as well as how it does not happen easily, and how various factors can facilitate or hinder successful integration