Abstract
Studies of science learning and identity development in out-of-school settings (OST) grounded in sociocultural historical theory attest to its important contribution to the development of science literacy in children and adolescents. Learning science takes many forms in quality OST settings and is typically initiated and directed by the youth themselves. Through interaction with authentic, rich environments, such as gardens or science laboratories, learning in OST settings is about connecting scientific knowledge with scientific practice. OST settings also offer opportunities to engage in scientific reasoning by observing, manipulating and questioning the surroundings. Engagement in science in OST settings also support new ways of understanding and relating to science. Youth may come to see themselves as knowledgeable of science through their engagement with it and through the opportunities that emerge that make agency possible (i.e., putting science to use). Youth may, for the first time, come to see themselves as capable of doing science and, therefore, as potential insiders of science. It is this kind of identity work, which is closely tied to learning, that I explore in this chapter, as I look at learning and becoming in OST settings (see also National Research Council, 2009; Rahm, 2010).
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Rahm, J. (2012). Multi-Sited Ethnography. In: Ash, D., Rahm, J., Melber, L.M. (eds) Putting Theory into Practice. New Directions in Mathematics and Science Education, vol 25. SensePublishers, Rotterdam. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-964-0_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-964-0_12
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