ERIC Number: EJ1395048
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8650
EISSN: N/A
Understanding Facilitation Techniques for Hands-On Chemistry Activities
Kollmann, Elizabeth Kunz; Anderson, Allison; Beyer, Marta; Velázquez, Hever; Bequette, Marjorie; Haupt, Gretchen; Weitzman, Owen
Journal of Museum Education, v48 n2 p122-135 2023
Educators play a key role in facilitating interactive learning experiences in informal science education settings, such as science centers and museums. Despite their importance, research around facilitation has generally focused on visitor impacts and not the strategies used by the educators themselves. The "ChemAttitudes" project studied and characterized facilitation moves used by educators during hands-on chemistry activities with visitors at two science museums. Building on previous research done by the Exploratorium, the project team defined a framework of three overarching categories of facilitation techniques: "Invite participation," "Support exploration," and "Deepen understanding." (referenced in short form as "Invite," "Support," and "Deepen"). Each of these categories also included distinct facilitation moves that educators used throughout an interaction with visitors. Overall, data indicated that educators used Support moves most often, Deepen moves less frequently, and Invite moves the least. Although educators almost always started an interaction with Invite, afterwards, they moved flexibly back and forth between the three types of moves in a non-linear order in response to the visitors. The framework and findings from this project can be used to support training and professional development for other informal educators using hands-on activities with visitors.
Descriptors: Chemistry, Science Instruction, Hands on Science, Teaching Methods, Teacher Role, Museums, Informal Education, Teacher Attitudes, Science Teachers, Partnerships in Education, Learning Experience, Exhibits
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota (Saint Paul); Massachusetts (Boston)
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1612482