Teaching science in informal environments: Pedagogical knowledge for informal educators

Abstract

Science educators in informal environments such as science centers and museums affect people's learning experiences, as they create and implement the educational programs and exhibits to support science learning. The educators are the human interfaces between the institutions' collections, the knowledge and culture that are represented, and the visiting public. Previous studies suggest that educators apply a range of strategies in their interactions with visitors that account for the learners' levels of interest and understanding, and as such serve to scaffold the learning experience. However, it also appears that educators may not have an explicit understanding of how educational techniques may best be used. In addition, while educators have a diversity of knowledge and backgrounds resulting in arguably valuable varied expertise, such diversity may also be an impediment as staff do not share a common understanding and language for how they approach and talk about their work. We propose a common body of knowledge that can lead to a shared framework for practice, and provide the basis for pre-service and ongoing professional education among educators who teach science in informal environments. In this chapter, we discuss our six knowledge components underlying the pedagogical knowledge required for science education in informal environments that is shared with, but distinct from, teaching science in schools. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.