Overview
First comprehensive volume looking at informal science education
Defines sound informal teaching practices
Provides informal educators with research based strategies for approaching their audiences
Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
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Table of contents (29 chapters)
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Bridging the Gap Between Formal and Informal Educators
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Science Communication
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Front Matter
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Conclusion
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
- Free choice learning
- Informal science education
- Informal science educators
- Informal science teaching
- Museum educators
- Museum science teaching
- Participatory learning environments
- Science communication
- Science conversations
- Science outreach
- Science outreach programs
- Visitors learning
- professional development
- reflective practice
- program design
- learning and instruction
About this book
This book provides a diverse look at various aspects of preparing informal science educators. Much has been published about the importance of preparing formal classroom educators, but little has been written about the importance, need, and best practices for training professionals who teach in aquariums, camps, parks, museums, etc. The reader will find that as a collective the chapters of the book are well-related and paint a clear picture that there are varying ways to approach informal educator preparation, but all are important. The volume is divided into five topics: Defining Informal Science Education, Professional Development, Designing Programs, Zone of Reflexivity: The Space Between Formal and Informal Educators, and Public Communication. The authors have written chapters for practitioners, researchers and those who are interested in assessment and evaluation, formal and informal educator preparation, gender equity, place-based education, professional development, program design, reflective practice, and science communication. Readers will draw meaning and usefulness from the array of professional perspectives and be stimulated to begin a quest to scaffold programs and professional development around the frameworks described in this book.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
Patricia Patrick received her MEd and PhD from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is an Assistant Professor in Cultural Foundations and Leadership at Columbus State University and an Associate Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick. In cooperation with the Houston Zoo, Dr. Patrick developed a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction for Informal Science Education. She has published numerous articles related to informal science learning, with a focus on sociocultural theory. Her work focuses on the importance of social interactions and the importance of those interactions within families. She published the book Zoo Talk. She has been a guest speaker at the Chester Zoo (England), University College London Institute of Education (England), Sao Paulo Zoo (Brazil), and San Diego Zoo where she discussed questioning skills and preparing science communicators. She has been a Visiting Researcher at the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin as a researcher on the development of a new Heinz Sielmann exhibit. Her research interests are in informal science education, preparing informal educators, and the influence of family culture and science knowledge on science learning.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Preparing Informal Science Educators
Book Subtitle: Perspectives from Science Communication and Education
Editors: Patricia G. Patrick
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50398-1
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017
License: CC BY
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-50396-7Published: 23 January 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-84390-2Published: 13 July 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-50398-1Published: 16 January 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXXIV, 600
Number of Illustrations: 53 b/w illustrations
Topics: Science Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Learning & Instruction