This paper presents a conceptual framework for analyzing how researchers and district leaders perceive and navigate differences they encounter in the context of research-practice partnerships. Our framework contrasts with images of partnership work as facilitating the translation of research into practice. Instead, we argue that partnership activity is best viewed as a form of joint work requiring mutual engagement across multiple boundaries. Drawing on a cultural-historical account of learning across boundaries (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011) and evidence from a study of two longterm partnerships
Collaboration is a prerequisite for the sustainability of interagency programs, particularly those programs initially created with the support of time-limited grant-funding sources. From the perspective of evaluators, however, assessing collaboration among grant partners is often difficult. It is also challenging to present collaboration data to stakeholders in a way that is meaningful. In this article, the authors introduce the Levels of Collaboration Scale, which was developed from existing models and instruments. The authors extend prior work on measuring collaboration by exploring the
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bruce FreyJill LohmeierStephen LeeNona Tollefson
To address the Informal Science Learning for Indigenous communities raises a number of issues. What is “informal” and how does this notion influence the everyday lived lives of Indigenous peoples? Can we separate the informal from the formal, and is the nexus of the two a productive place from which to explore, teach, and pursue science in Indigenous communities? This commissioned paper attempts to begin addressing these questions.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Bryan Mckinely Jones BrayboyAngelina Castagno
To this volume on out-of-school STEM learning, we contribute an example of science. Our charge is to discuss what it means for children to be doing science and how educators can assess it. To that end, we’ve chosen an especially clear case. It happens to have taken place in school, but that shouldn’t matter for our purpose here; it’s the substance of the children’s reasoning that we’re assessing as the beginnings of science. We open with the case. We then articulate how it is an example of science, in particular of science as a pursuit. Finally we discuss what this view means for science
Educational assessment systems are frequently challenged by divergent stakeholder needs. A major insight from experts who work on school assessment systems is the need to clearly articulate and evaluate assessment choices in relation to these distinct goals. The out-of-school STEM ecosystem faces similar challenges. This background paper presents ideas for new assessment methodologies that include biographical and narrative approaches, measures of sustained learning, and social network representations to complement more traditional approaches that capture average effects of a particular
The long-term goal is to broaden our model program that currently targets African-American populations in the national capital area. The aim of the program is to: a) educate junior and senior high students and elementary school teachers directly; and b) provide opportunities for exploration of health-related sciences for the public at large (via an interactive website) so that topics in the biomedical sciences become "friendly and familiar" rather than the existing stereotype that science is erudite, obtuse, and incomprehensible. Specific objectives: (A) Design hands-on experiences in science laboratories and opportunities to interact with scientists in the setting of a sophisticated research institute; especially target under-represented minorities, students from inner city schools and other local schools where science opportunities may be limited. This will include junior and high school students, elementary school teachers, as well as interactions with Children's Museum and other similar organizations. (B) Set up interactive web-based informatics to include: i) a system where high school students could refine the question they are posing for science projects by discussing it with a professional scientist; ii) a general "ask-the-expert" site for science and health issues; iii) a reference site containing the detailed experimental protocols for student experiments; and iv) an interactive resource to aid teachers throughout the U.S. to establish contacts with scientists. The goal of this project is to extend the reach of current health science programs that are targeted to females, African-American junior and senior high school students, and elementary school teachers, located in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The project includes laboratory apprenticeships, student mentoring, and an interactive website to help students and teachers establish contact with scientists nationwide.
This dissertation examined changes in urban youth’s attitude towards science as well as their perception of the informal science education setting and third space opportunity provided by the BioBus, a mobile science lab. Findings from this study suggested that urban youth’s attitude towards science changed both positively and negatively in statistically significant ways after a BioBus visit and that the experience itself was highly enjoyable. Furthermore, implications for how to construct a third space within the urban science classroom and the merits of utilizing the theoretical framework
More and more young people are learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in a wide variety of afterschool, summer, and informal programs. At the same time, there has been increasing awareness of the value of such programs in sparking, sustaining, and extending interest in and understanding of STEM. To help policy makers, funders and education leaders in both school and out-of-school settings make informed decisions about how to best leverage the educational and learning resources in their community, this report identifies features of productive STEM programs in
This article is a case study describing how one science teacher makes everyday science in the community and classroom science intersect. This article is useful to help science educators relate information from home and neighborhoods to scientific content. The concept of transformative boundary objects is introduced in this article and can aid educators design projects that incorporate important science going on in their communities to foster long-term public engagement in science.
As collective impact initiatives blossom around the country, Northern Kentucky provides a case study in handling a dilemma that can spring from that growth: When multiple initiatives develop overlapping missions, members, and audiences, how can you reduce competition and increase impact? Today, Northern Kentucky's education initiatives are aligned through a backbone organization that aims to improve all youth supports, from birth to career.
Data from 15 countries suggest that positive parental attitudes toward science are associated with higher student achievement in science. The findings also indicate that socioeconomic status has no effect on the relationship between parental attitudes and student achievement: Poorer students benefit just as much from positive parental attitudes as richer students.
Gruenewald blends critical pedagogy and place-based education into a critical pedagogy of place. Critical pedagogies challenge the assumptions implicit in the dominant culture. Place-based education aims to educate citizens so they can influence their social and ecological spaces. Together, these perspectives provide a framework that enables citizens to act both locally and globally to protect their cultures and environments.