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Using The Community Of Practice Framework To Examine Informal Science Educators' Epistemological And Pedagogical Beliefs In Informal Science, Monique Andrea Lester

Theses and Dissertations

When ranked and compared to students in other countries, students in the United States of America consistently rank below their peers in science knowledge. Among the many recommendations for increasing the science knowledge of students is a merge of informal science education (ISE) and public and private science classrooms.

There is limited research focused on (1) the historical trends of research conducted in informal science education including the methodologies employed and pedagogical practices revealed and (2) the epistemological and pedagogical beliefs of formal science educators, who hold dual positions in the classroom and in an informal science setting. This dissertation …