Out-of-school science education institutions, such as museums, science centres, zoos and aquaria, have strong potentials to promote sustainability, yet seem to lack an operational definition of sustainability that aligns with their specific characteristics and institutional remit. Here, we use the anthropological theory of didactics to…

The study of adult education has much to offer museum education, particularly from the lens of nonformal education--education that takes place outside formal educational settings. Through analysis of two case studies of nonformal education at museums (parks, historical sites, and cultural institutions), findings reveal a much more complex picture…

In the early twentieth century, a curriculum known as nature study flourished in major city school systems, streetcar suburbs, small towns, and even rural one-room schools. This object-based approach to learning about the natural world marked the first systematic attempt to introduce science into elementary education, and it came at a time when…

This research paper focuses on "teacher-led" primary school visits to the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. It considers the objectives of school visits and the aims of the Eden Project. The strategies used by the Eden Project to convey their messages are investigated and effective strategies for learning are evaluated, based on…

Examines the relationship between informal environmental interpretive experiences and formal environmental education. Similarities and differences are delineated and implications are drawn for the use of interpretive experiences in environmental education school curricula. The Informal Environmental Learning Checklist (IEL) is presented as a means…

Research related to environmental education has consistently indicated that many students and young adults attribute a large amount of their knowledge of environmental concepts, problems, and issues to out-of-school (non-formal) educational settings and experiences. Data also indicate that students and young adults attribute much of their…

This workshop was designed to discuss the role of out-of-school science activities both in formal and non-formal education programs. Fifteen participants from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand attended the workshop. Highlights…

This bulletin addresses the topic of out-of-school science education (OSSE) as it is occurring and developing in the countries of the Asia and Pacific region of Unesco. Out-of-school programs/activities are both complementary of and supplementary to science education in the schools, providing activities that the constraints of schooling usually…