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The night skies and the planet on which we live can be inspirational to young and old alike. In the run up to its 200th anniversary in 2020, the U.K.'s...

During the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, we initiated a collaboration between astrophysicists in Western Australia working toward building the largest telescope on Earth, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA),...

The 15th international conference of the Public Communication of Science and Technology network took place from April 4–6, 2018. Given its location in Dunedin, New Zealand/Ōtepoti, Aotearoa, it was a...

The materials provided in this guide are intended to introduce educators and program facilitators to concepts related to STEM identity and to help educators practice noticing and responding to the...

Children’s storybooks are a ubiquitous learning resource, and one with huge potential to support STEM learning. They also continue to be a primary way that children learn about the world...

Computational Thinking (CT) is a relatively new educational focus and a clear need for learners as a 21st century skill. This proposal tackles this challenging new area for young learners,...

Engineering is a critical yet understudied topic in early childhood. Previous research has shown that even young children can engage in (versions of) engineering design practices and processes that are...

This study addresses the increasing interest in family learning in informal settings by investigating strategies to better engage families in science talk and practices. As part of a larger design-based...

There is a growing need for science educators and communicators who can support public understanding of complex science issues. Across the United States, science museums increasingly offer volunteer positions to...

Hispanic youths have traditionally been marginalized from participation in STEM careers, though efforts have been made to increase diversity in STEM careers through targeted learning interventions for these students. However,...

We found that the learners seeking out resources to teach themselves to code were generally college educated women who were motived either by the desire to be able to read...

In 2016, ETR received a National Science Foundation grant to study, under Principal Investigator Louise Ann (“Lou Ann”) Lyon, PhD, a newly formed, real-world organization dedicated to helping women in...

Emerging research suggests that families are key to developing the science interests and career aspirations of youth. In order to increase the diversity and numbers of individuals choosing to pursue...

Embedded assessment (EA) is particularly well-suited for evaluating citizen science volunteers’ proficiency of science inquiry skills; however they remain uncommon in informal education. Using design-based research, we are examining processes...

In order to engage visitors, guests, participants or audiences in positive STEM learning experiences, informal learning institutions need professionals who understand how to design for and facilitate engaging activities. Initial...

Communication is an essential component to scientific inquiry, and specifically the primary literature is highly valued by scientists. Yet, the role of primary literature within scientific inquiry is generally absent...

The visit to a science museum may be manifested through complex and dynamic motivations which, according to the literature, are under-investigated in a Brazilian context. In this study, an instrument...

This exploratory study aims to better understand how adults engage with science in the context of reallife socio-scientific issues (SSIs). Specifically, we examined how parents engage with the issue of...

The measurement and analysis of people's knowledge on scientific topics, such as climate change, is challenging for researchers. One reason is that objectives are multi-dimensional and that probability is inherent....

Mediators engage in peer-to-peer conversations with young adults visiting the art and science exhibitions at Science Gallery Dublin. Previous evaluation and anecdotal reports show that the interdisciplinary nature of these...

Despite low public knowledge of synthetic biology, it is the focus of prominent government and academic ethics debates. We examine the “NY Times” media coverage of synthetic biology. Our results...

Communicating about environmental risks requires understanding and addressing stakeholder needs, perspectives, and anticipated uses for communication products and decision-support tools. This paper demonstrates how long-term dialogue between scientists and stakeholders...

World’s Fairs and scientific-technological theme parks have been propitious places for the communication of science and technology through modernity. This work addresses the issue of the construction of public discourse...

The National Center for Science Education’s Science Booster Club Program piloted a no-conflict approach to free, informal science activities focused on climate change or evolution, holding 64 community events at...

“Science crowdfunding” is a research funding system in which members of the public make small financial contributions towards a research project via the Internet. We compared the more common research...