journal :: Stroud, N., Groome, M., Connolly, R., Sheppard, K. (2007). Towards a Methodology for Informal Astronomy Education Research . Astronomy Education Review, 5(2).

last updated: 2010-02-01 11:43:40

Abstract

As the astronomy education community develops, a need has arisen for concrete research and evaluation
methodologies, especially within informal educational settings. We propose one such methodology, action
evaluation, which attempts to demystify the process of research/evaluation and recruit as partners those
who are traditionally left out of this process. Based on the tradition of action research, this methodology
incorporates research/evaluation into the fabric of programs and places the researcher/educator in a
centralized role. We provide concrete examples of tools that we have used to enact this methodology and
elaborate using three case studies from our work in a museum.

Keywords	astronomy,informal,research methods,museum,case study
Download	research_in_informal_settings.pdf

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