Validating an Informal STEM Learning (ISL) Framework: Findings from Empirical Research (2017)

This project promises to help professionalize the field of informal science learning. In general, professional fields that developed guidance for growth and excellence tend to attract and retain professionals more successfully than those who do not, in part because expectations are transparent. Our analyses thus far included a variety of potential target audiences who engaged with the Framework at differing depths. In addition to testing the potential efficacy of the Preliminary Framework as a guide for professionalizing ISL, reviewers helped to build the case for the value of professional development (and thus the final Framework) for individuals, supervisors, and prospective employers. Participants in this study expressed a feeling of ownership in this project after being engaged with the Preliminary Framework and asked that they continue to get updates on the Framework as development progresses. In addition, a couple of the institutions involved in the organized discussions expressed a need for institutional staff development and would be very interested in serving as pilot sites for implementing the Framework.