What students learn in science classrooms is very different from how they may experience science in their everyday lives, and from what scientific practices actually look like today. Although more relevant scientific topics and epistemological features have gained prominence in science curricula, school science can only provide limited everyday science topics and representations of authentic science research. Non-formal science activities on the other hand, provide opportunities to create a more relevant, rich, complex, and contextualized picture of what modern science entails. Yet, while these activities can promote a wider range of science topics and experiences, if not carefully designed, they can reproduce traditional interactions, stances, and roles as found in school contexts. The discrepancy between “science in the context of school” and “science in real life” can affect identity development and may be one reason why students view scientific research as a black box and are having difficulty seeing the relevance of science in their everyday lives.
In recent years the nature of out-of-school science has changed with (1) greater online engagement and new opportunities such as social network presence of out-of-school science institutions, online/remote tools, and the rise of YouTube as a first source for in-school help and "infotainment", (2) recent advances and issues in understanding how culture, identity, and science participation influence each other, especially with respect to perceptions of global challenges like climate, pandemics, etc., and (3) an increasing recognition of science communication and its role in promoting science learning, including the communication of modern science as a means of diversifying what students learn about science and scientists. We want to consider these developments and engage them to discuss how in-school and out-of-school science learning opportunities can do better to create experiences that immerse students in the conceptual, epistemological, social, and affective features of modern science, with the goal of helping students see science as a part of their everyday lives and giving them a better understanding of authentic scientific practices.
In this Research Topic, we invite authors to explore how we can reinvent the image of science, right at the interface between science communication and science education. What are new, innovative, and authentic ways in which in-school and out-of-school settings can be connected to diversify experiences with science research? How can we specifically design these connections to support a positive science identity, especially for those from underserved groups? What frameworks and tools can we use as conceptual bridges between institutions, settings, and research fields?
We highly encourage article submissions that address or include: Identity as a lens when designing for science learning (including representation of gender, community, and political identities), design processes and guidelines to diversify the image of science, perspectives on authentic and situated learning in service of science identity development, nature of science as a starting point to create a more holistic and inclusive representation of science, promising practices and collaboration approaches in program development, implementation and assessment. We are particularly looking for out-of-the-box and interdisciplinary research approaches, theoretical insights, and empirical findings. All methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and participatory action research will be considered.
What students learn in science classrooms is very different from how they may experience science in their everyday lives, and from what scientific practices actually look like today. Although more relevant scientific topics and epistemological features have gained prominence in science curricula, school science can only provide limited everyday science topics and representations of authentic science research. Non-formal science activities on the other hand, provide opportunities to create a more relevant, rich, complex, and contextualized picture of what modern science entails. Yet, while these activities can promote a wider range of science topics and experiences, if not carefully designed, they can reproduce traditional interactions, stances, and roles as found in school contexts. The discrepancy between “science in the context of school” and “science in real life” can affect identity development and may be one reason why students view scientific research as a black box and are having difficulty seeing the relevance of science in their everyday lives.
In recent years the nature of out-of-school science has changed with (1) greater online engagement and new opportunities such as social network presence of out-of-school science institutions, online/remote tools, and the rise of YouTube as a first source for in-school help and "infotainment", (2) recent advances and issues in understanding how culture, identity, and science participation influence each other, especially with respect to perceptions of global challenges like climate, pandemics, etc., and (3) an increasing recognition of science communication and its role in promoting science learning, including the communication of modern science as a means of diversifying what students learn about science and scientists. We want to consider these developments and engage them to discuss how in-school and out-of-school science learning opportunities can do better to create experiences that immerse students in the conceptual, epistemological, social, and affective features of modern science, with the goal of helping students see science as a part of their everyday lives and giving them a better understanding of authentic scientific practices.
In this Research Topic, we invite authors to explore how we can reinvent the image of science, right at the interface between science communication and science education. What are new, innovative, and authentic ways in which in-school and out-of-school settings can be connected to diversify experiences with science research? How can we specifically design these connections to support a positive science identity, especially for those from underserved groups? What frameworks and tools can we use as conceptual bridges between institutions, settings, and research fields?
We highly encourage article submissions that address or include: Identity as a lens when designing for science learning (including representation of gender, community, and political identities), design processes and guidelines to diversify the image of science, perspectives on authentic and situated learning in service of science identity development, nature of science as a starting point to create a more holistic and inclusive representation of science, promising practices and collaboration approaches in program development, implementation and assessment. We are particularly looking for out-of-the-box and interdisciplinary research approaches, theoretical insights, and empirical findings. All methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and participatory action research will be considered.