Science Centre Research Resources

The resources below are useful and reputable background materials that contribute to knowledge in this field.

Research Partnerships: How to make them more effective

Research and development or research for development? What kind of research, and in particular research partnerships, can contribute to the development of a country, not just science?

The Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) has recently published a partially revised second edition of Improving Impacts of Research Partnerships. This book will interest those concerned with making research collaborations more effective and equitable. Using a range of case studies, the authors have collated information that can be used to guide an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of research partnerships, in particular the impact of a partnership on knowledge generation, attitudinal change and impacts on target groups such as policymakers and the local population.

What makes a science centre or museum a ‘leader’?

If you were to identify any “must visit” science centres or museums in your country, what strengths or features could you identify that make them stand out? Is it their exhibits, their programmes or the research that they do? These questions are important to answer to help science centres and museums benchmark themselves. In the November 1993 issue of Discover magazine, ten different authors wrote about ten different science centres and museums, outlining their experiences and what they felt made them great.

Evaluating interactive web sites

Web Designs for Interactive Learning is a useful resource for an educator who is, or is considering, designing, developing or evaluating an interactive web site. Arising from a June 2005 conference, the site lists a wide range of topics for discussion from the inclusion of web sites as an additional component of educational programs; how to understand your audience; and an examination of ideas and issues in interactive online informal science education.

The Community's Contribution to Science Learning

Professor Léonie Rennie delivered a keynote paper at the ACER Research Conference, held in Canberra, Australia, 13-15 August 2006, on the theme Boosting science learning – what will it take?

The title of her paper ‘The community's contribution to science learning: making it count’ is underpinned by two assumptions. The first is that the community should contribute to science learning. To justify this assumption, Professor Rennie describe what we know about the outcomes of learning science. The second assumption is that the potential community contribution needs some assistance to ‘make it count’. To explain this, she outlines community-based opportunities for learning science, melds this with what we know about learning outside of school, and then uses case studies to illustrate how we can make it count.

Download the paper (64 kB, pdf)

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Biotext Pty Ltd, an Australian science information consultancy, has carried out a review of international initiatives to promote public engagement in the development and oversight of emerging scientific technologies. The report includes a review of relevant academic literature published during 2000-05, tracks public engagement initiatives in several countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, and offers practical advice for planning public consultation.

Download the report (pdf, 303 kB)

Science resources online

(This item is from an ASTC newsletter distributed in March 2006)

In a 17 January 2006 article in the UK's 'Daily Telegraph', Professor Steven Jones of University College London encouraged science writers to move beyond obvious sources like 'Nature' and 'Science' to try less publicized sites like the Public Library of Science (PLOS), a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature freely available; Stanford University's HighWire Press, 'the largest repository of free, full-text, peer-reviewed content, with 924 journals online'; and PubMedCentral, the U.S. National Institutes of Health's (NIH) free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature.

Research on complementary learning

The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) includes a focus on complementary learning - 'non-school supports and opportunities that can ... complement learning in schools.' The HFRP publishes an online evaluation journal, 'The Evaluation Exchange'. Past issues have been devoted to a variety of themes including evaluation methodology, early childhood programs, professional development, and family support. HRFP research areas summaries and free subscriptions to HFRP publications.

Research on informal science education

The Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS), funded by the USA's National Science Foundation since 2002, carries out research in seven areas: science communication and explanation; cultural variation in learning; conversation, interaction and learning; identity, teaching and learning in informal environments; digital learning and informal environments; organizational and institutional theory and informal science institutions; and systemic interactions between informal science institutions and schools. Research partners are the University of California Santa Cruz, King's College London and San Francisco's Exploratorium. Details of the CILS research themes. The CILS site also has links to reading lists, conference presentations and other relevant websites.

Museums and the Web 2006

Even before the tenth annual 'Museums and the Web' conference took off in Albuquerque NM, USA on 23 March 2006, many of the papers to be presented at the conference were available on line. Museums and the Web is convened by Archives & Museum Informatics. Check out the 2006 list of papers, or find proceedings of previous conferences.

Communicating European research

In November 2005, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research hosted the second “Communicating European Research” conference in Brussels. Delegates discussed a wide range of topics including new trends in communicating science and technology, science on television and radio, the role of science journalists, science in schools. Read about some of the conference sessions.

A decade of public understanding of S&T activities in Japan

At the PCST Working Symposium in Beijing in June 2005, Yoshiyuki Maeda of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) summarised the Agency's activities since 1996 in promoting the public understanding of science and technology. These have included both nationwide and locally-based activities, and have targeted schools as well as the general public. The paper also outlines key issues for the future.

Download the paper (pdf, 383 kB)

Attitudes to science and technology in Europe

The November 2005 issue of the European Commission's 'RTDinfo' magazine is a special 32-page edition summarising two special Eurobarometer 2005 reports. These reports presented the results of surveys on Europeans' experience and perception of science and technology and their views on social values, ethics and decision making procedures.

Download the 'RTDinfo' special edition (pdf, 2.5 MB) or access the HTML version.

Effective professional development for teachers

A study funded by the Australian Government's Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has explored the links between teacher professional development (PD) and student outcomes. The report, by Marion Meiers and Laurence Ingvarson, is in two volumes, with an executive summary in Volume 1. Also in Volume 1, Chapter 6 summarises the characteristics of teacher PD programs that are most likely to lead to improved student learning. Volume 2 consists of case studies of 10 PD programs in 70 schools.

Read the abstract, and then access links to download the entire report (Volumes 1 & 2).

Japanese youth and science and technology

In a paper presented at an OECD seminar in June 2005, Yasushi Ogura summarised research results pointing to declining interest among Japan's young people in studying science and technology (S&T), or taking up S&T-based careers. He also described some of the activities that have been shown in Japan to make statistically significant differences to students' motivation to learn science.

Download the report (pdf, 106kB).

Young people and science: attitudes, values and priorities

An international study of school student's attitudes to science, technology and society has collected data from school students in about 40 countries (including 6 in the APEC region) to explore factors of importance to the learning of science and technology - as perceived by the learners. Results from the Norway-based ROSE (The Relevance of Science Education) study are demonstrating both similarities and differences between boys and girls, and also between developed and developing countries.

Visit the ROSE website or download Svein Sjøberg's presentation of some of the results (pdf, 942 kb).

Pathways from school to further education or work

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) carries out longitudinal studies of Australian youth. A report by Sue Townsend, released in September 2005, showed that the subjects chosen and studied in the senior secondary years have a major influence on the educational and career options open to young people. For students completing their secondary education during 1995-98, the course patterns that were the best pathways to higher education included those centred on advanced mathematics and physical sciences.

Download the report (pdf, 757 kb).

What did you learn at the museum today?

More than 20 000 children and over 900 teachers were asked for their views about school-group museum visits in three regions of the UK in a study by the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries at the University of Leicester. Teachers were very satisfied with their experience. Pupils enjoyed their visits, found them exciting and felt that their experience at the museum had made school-work more inspiring.

Download the full report (large file - pdf, 4.8 Mb) or the executive summary + 4 parts (pdf, 350 kb-2.5 Mb).

Science and Development Network

SciDev.net is a free-access website that aims to 'enhance the provision of reliable and authoritative information on science- and technology-related issues that impact on the social and economic development of developing countries.' Regional news and policy perspectives are supplied for regions including China, Southeast Asia and Latin America, and an 'e-guide to science communication' is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Research and evaluation resources

A collection of resources – including conference papers, workshop notes, website links and reading lists – gathered by the Evaluation and Visitor Research Special Interest Group of Museums Australia on the subjects of museum audiences, exhibition evaluation, museum learning and tourism.

Go to the AMOL website.

The collective wisdom of the science centre field

An extensive collection of resources assembled by the Association of Science-Technology Centers on a wide range of topics including: accessible practices; education; equity and diversity; exhibits; making the case; science centre planning; visitor studies; youth programs; science centre products and services.

Go to the ASTC website.

Public attitudes to science and technology (UK and Europe, 2005)

Four reports published in 2005 provide an in-depth picture of how people in Europe see science and technology and its relationship to their lives.

Connecting science: What we know and what we don't know about science in society (download report PDF, 659 kB) was published by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. It is a 'review of the current state of knowledge about science communication, dialogue, public interests and aspirations about science, public concerns and trust, and perceptions of risk and ethical issues' and includes an extensive reference list.

Science in Society (download report PDF, 1.16 MB) presents findings from qualitative and quantitative research carried out in the United Kingdom for the Department of Trade and Industry's Office of Science and Technology. The report deals with public engagement with science (including engineering, medicine and technology); trust in scientists; and awareness of, interest in and consultation on issues related to science and technology. It also looks at differences among social groups and across geographical regions.

Europeans, Science and Technology (Eurobarometer 224; PDF, 1.9 MB) reports on surveys carried out in 32 countries to explore Europeans' experience and perception of science and technology - their interest and level of information; their image and knowledge of S&T; their attitudes to S&T; responsibilities of scientists and policy makers; and public perceptions of European scientific research.

Social values, science and technology (Eurobarometer 225; PDF, 1.5 MB) is based on the same set of surveys as the previous report, and assesses Europeans' views on social values and ethics and citizens' perceptions of the actors in S&T as well as decision making procedures.

Gaining support for your science centre or museum. Colin Johnson (2005)

This paper, prepared for the Association of Science-Technology Centers, discusses the challenges in educational advocacy for science centres and museums, and includes a link to a very useful planning guide - a table outlining issues and strategies relevant to several different audiences: politicians, school teachers, scientists, parents, funding partners and the media.

Go to the ASTC website to read this paper.