Preparing Informal Science Educators ― Perspectives from Science Communication and Education

This book provides a diverse look at various aspects of preparing informal science educators. Much has been published about the importance of preparing formal classroom educators, but little has been written about the importance, need, and best practices for training professionals who teach in aquariums, camps, parks, museums, etc. The reader will find that as a collective the chapters of the book are well-related and paint a clear picture that there are varying ways to approach informal educator preparation, but all are important. The volume is divided into five topics: Defining Informal Science Education, Professional Development, Designing Programs, Zone of Reflexivity: The Space Between Formal and Informal Educators, and Public Communication. The authors have written chapters for practitioners, researchers and those who are interested in assessment and evaluation, formal and informal educator preparation, gender equity, place-based education, professional development, program design, reflective practice, and science communication. Readers will draw meaning and usefulness from the array of professional perspectives and be stimulated to begin a quest to scaffold programs and professional development around the frameworks described in this book.

Patricia Patrick received her MEd and PhD from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She is an Assistant Professor in Cultural Foundations and Leadership at Columbus State University and an Associate Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick. In cooperation with the Houston Zoo, Dr. Patrick developed a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction for Informal Science Education. She has published numerous articles related to informal science learning, with a focus on sociocultural theory. Her work focuses on the importance of social interactions and the importance of those interactions within families. She published the book Zoo Talk. She has been a guest speaker at the Chester Zoo (England), University College London Institute of Education (England), Sao Paulo Zoo (Brazil), and San Diego Zoo where she discussed questioning skills and preparing science communicators. She has been a Visiting Researcher at the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin as a researcher on the development of a new Heinz Sielmann exhibit. Her research interests are in informal science education, preparing informal educators, and the influence of family culture and science knowledge on science learning.