Search Results – Website Pages

Dale McCreedy is a researcher and practitioner whose work has explored how out-of-school settings such as science museums can help adult learners and girls identify with science. In a joint interview with Lynn Dierking, she shares her perspectives on identity from their project Cascading Influences, which explores the long-term impacts of informal STEM experiences for ... Read more

Dan Kahan‘s identity-related work has focused on “identity protective cognition”, which refers to the tendency of individuals to unconsciously dismiss evidence that does not reflect the beliefs that predominate in their group. This is also sometimes called “motivated reasoning”. More broadly, he studies various topics related to risk perceptions and science communication in the context ... Read more

Edna Tan is a social science researcher in STEM education who uses qualitative approaches to explore issues of power and systemic injustices as they relate to identity. Her research uses the concepts of “identity work” and “identities in practice” (i.e. what youth do, say or perform) to understand how youth engage with STEM in ways ... Read more

As a political scientist who studies communication, Erik Nisbet looks at identity from the perspective of public debates around controversial science issues such as climate change or vaccinations. He frames identity along the lines of political identity or deeply rooted beliefs on collective versus individualistic approaches to decision-making and provides examples on how these broader ... Read more

Heidi Ballard is an environmental education researcher whose work focuses on how both youth and adults develop identities and learn through public participation in scientific research, and citizen science activities in particular. Watch the short video or download the full interview transcript below. “Identities are not fixed. They are not fixed in time and they ... Read more

Heidi Carlone is a learning researcher whose work examines identity in concert with the study of culture. She studies an individual’s “performance,” in relation to what is demanded, celebrated, and marginalized in the setting they are in. Her work assumes that the identity-related outcomes of any given set of practices, or local context, are often ... Read more

A scholar and leader in research on identity for 40 years, psychologist Jacque Eccles reflects on the various ways in which “identity” can be understood and measured. She provides a variety of vivid examples on how identity or self-concept play into decisions that young people make on whether to engage with STEM or not. Eccles ... Read more

Jennifer Adams’ research focuses on identity in teacher learning and youth agency. Taking critical and decolonizing stances towards science, and science teaching and learning, are key themes underlying her work. You can watch this short video or download the full interview transcript below. “My definition of identity is very contextual and has shifted even from ... Read more

Kevin Binning is a social psychologist whose research focuses on answering the (seemingly) simple question: Why people do the things that they do? Using formal methods of inquiry such as experimentation and longitudinal observation, he explores how identity influences people’s learning and behavior over time. He develops and tests social psychology interventions that “nudge” people ... Read more

Lynn Dierking’s research focuses on free-choice learning with an emphasis on engaging youth from backgrounds that are underrepresented in STEM in meaningful ways. In a joint interview with Dale McCreedy, she shares her perspectives on identity from their project Cascading Influences, which explores the long-term impacts of informal STEM experiences for girls. Watch the short ... Read more

Shelly Valdez owns and manages an educational consulting business, Native Pathways, located in central New Mexico. Native Pathways focuses on world views of science education, primarily indigenous science. Shelly’s interest and passion for indigenous science has influenced her approaches in the field of education and evaluation, as well as the partners she works with. Watch ... Read more

Zahra Hazari‘s research focuses on reforming physics learning environments in an effort to improve critical educational outcomes for under-represented groups in physics, especially women. In particular, her work centers on physics identity development, often through a recognition of belonging to the physics community, and the development of agency in physics (i.e. empowerment to take intentional ... Read more

Since 2004, IES has invested in training programs to prepare individuals to conduct rigorous and relevant education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. Through these programs, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) seeks to fund new approaches to train and mentor students and researchers ... Read more

A toolkit that helps institutions collect data on the representation of gender in museum content. IF/THEN® Gender Representation Toolkit

Explore a comic presenting key findings about science communication fellowships based off of interviews about their accessibility and inclusivity with fellowship directors.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the guidelines for the first round of FY 2018 National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG) and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21). The NLG program invests in projects that address challenges faced by the library and archive fields and generate results such as new tools, research findings, or models ... Read more

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will release the results of its pilot National Museum Survey (NMS) during a webinar on January 23, 2024 at 2 p.m. ET. Speakers will highlight how the successful completion of the pilot serves as the foundation for the first-ever annual federal survey to gather and share data about the ... Read more

Each year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services presents select museums and libraries with the nation’s highest honor, the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The award recognizes libraries and museums that make significant and exceptional contributions in service to their communities. IMLS is now accepting nominations for the 2017 awards. Anyone–an employee, a ... Read more

This article was migrated from a previous version of the Knowledge Base. The date stamp does not reflect the original publication date. Overview  For many people, media outlets can be a key source of information regarding science topics, and specifically topics in animals and conservation. Research indicates that more positive feelings towards animals can result ... Read more

Authors: Preeti Gupta, Rachel Chaffee, Karen Hammerness, Anna MacPherson, and Kea Anderson with Youth Co-Researchers: Mahmoud Abouelkheir, Lucie Lagodich, Manaka Shiomi & Erica Chen “When I started at college, being a woman [in] STEM was very isolating for me because a lot of people in my classes didn’t really share similar experiences. … I just ... Read more

This article was migrated from a previous version of the Knowledge Base. The date stamp does not reflect the original publication date. Overview  Science journalism at newspapers, magazines, and in documentary TV formats contributes significantly to public understanding and knowledge.  Yet informal learning from these sources varies considerably by educational background.  In addition, as audiences ... Read more

May 18, 2023 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The Office of Educational Technology (OET) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) are partnered to host a webinar in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Join the webinar to hear from the South Carolina’s Department of Education staff. Learn from them how you can implement accessibility initiatives for your staff, educators, and ... Read more

The American Alliance of Museums published a blog sharing their approaches for grantseekers working on community-based projects. Read the blog.

It is with great sadness that the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education Co-PIs, staff and advisors, both past and present, mark the passing of Dr. Alan Friedman. An original founder and Co Principal investigator of CAISE, Alan continued to serve the project as a trusted advisor. Alan played a key role in shaping ... Read more

A webinar on partnerships with communities that provide scientists and science educators opportunities to bring knowledges and practices of local and global communities in interaction with sciences to learn, teach, advocate, and transform. Panelists: Natasha Alhadeff-Jones, Assistant Director, Institut Sunkronos, Geneva, Switzerland Daniel Morales-Doyle, Associate Professor of Science Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University ... Read more