November 2nd, 2021 | RESEARCH
Two critical challenges in science education are how to engage students in the practices of science and how to develop and sustain interest. The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which high school youth, the majority of whom are members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM, learn the skills and practices of science and in turn develop interest in conducting scientific research as part of their career pursuits. To accomplish this goal, we applied Hidi and Renninger’s well-tested theoretical framework for studying interest development in the context of a museum-based, informal science education (ISE) program. We used a mixed methods approach, incorporating both survey and interview data, to address three research questions: (1) As youth engage in authentic science research, do they develop perceived competence in mastering the skills and practices of science? (2) Do participants increase, maintain, or decrease interest in science research as a result of this experience? (3) How does participation in scientific practices manifest in non-program contexts?
Document
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Team Members
Bobby Habig, Author, American Museum of Natural HistoryPreeti Gupta, Author, American Museum of Natural History
Citation
Identifier Type: DOI
Identifier: 10.1186/s40594-021-00314-y
Identifier Type: ISSN
Identifier: 2196-7822
Publication: International Journal of STEM Education
Volume: 8
Funders
Funding Source: NSF
Award Number: 1710792
Related URLs
NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: Patterns and processes in the evolution of nest construction in Ploceus weaverbirds
Full Text
Tags
Access and Inclusion: Low Socioeconomic Status
Audience: Learning Researchers | Middle School Children (11-13) | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists | Youth | Teen (up to 17)
Discipline: Education and learning science | Geoscience and geography | Life science | Social science and psychology | Space science
Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article | Research Products
Environment Type: Museum and Science Center Programs | Public Programs