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Peer-reviewed article

Impacts of a comprehensive public engagement training and support program on scientists’ outreach attitudes and practices

August 31, 2018 | Public Programs
Scientists are increasingly being called upon to play a more prominent role in the interface of science and society by contributing to science literacy in ways that support two-way exchanges with the public. However, many remain reluctant to participate in public engagement activities in part because they feel they lack relevant skills and experience. We surveyed scientists trained on engagement through a nationwide program called Portal to the Public and examined how participation in the program may have influenced their self-efficacy, commitment and attitudes about outreach, and perceived benefits from conducting outreach based on two-way exchange with lay audiences. Participating scientists who responded to the survey reported being deeply involved in and highly committed to hands-on interactive public outreach, felt their engagement skills had improved, and even viewed benefits of their engagement training that extended into university teaching and career development. Our findings suggest a comprehensive engagement training model, which incorporates learning theory, helps scientists build their own outreach strategies, provides opportunities to practice, and offers easy access to audiences, can have a sustained impact on disposition, perceived skills, and type of outreach conducted by scientists interested in deeper engagement with the public.

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  • StylinskiBWW
    Author
    University of Maryland
  • Storksdieck Headshot small
    Author
    Oregon State University
  • Nicolette Canzoneri
    Author
    Oregon State University
  • REVISE logo
    Author
    Institute for Learning Innovation
  • REVISE logo
    Author
    Institute for Learning Innovation
  • Citation

    DOI : 10.1080/21548455.2018.1506188
    ISSN : 2154-8463
    Publication Name: International Journal of Science Education, Part B

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: AISL
    Award Number: 1224129
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: General STEM
    Audience: General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Scientists | Learning Researchers
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs

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