Goodwill without Guidance: College Student Outreach Practitioner Training

Chemistry-specific informal science education (chemistry outreach) is widely practiced across all levels of the chemistry community. College students associated with American Chemical Society and Alpha Chi Sigma collegiate chapters are one population of chemistry outreach practitioners who reach upward of 1 million people every year. Previous studies of this population have characterized their goals/purposes for conducting outreach, their understanding of the chemistry content underlying common demonstrations/activities, as well as their teaching and learning beliefs that they bring to their outreach teaching. The study reported herein provides another characterization of this population’s chemistry outreach practices by focusing on the training experiences they receive prior to facilitating events. Using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches, training experiences and perceived gaps in training are characterized and compared to stages of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Theory. Results indicate little involvement from chapter advisors, widespread practice of “winging it” or using trial and error when teaching children, and little training overall. Comparisons to Cognitive Apprenticeship Theory show a primary emphasis on modeling and coaching, with little metacognitive considerations. Implications for outreach teaching and training (for both practitioners and national chemistry organizations) are presented in light of these findings.