Fall 2007 Group Meeting

1. Fall 2007 Group Meeting Jeffrey R. Raker Towns Research Group Purdue University

2. Plan of Action • Current Areas of Interest • Summer Research Study • Semester Goals

3. Current Areas of Interest • Informal Science Education • Boy Scouts of America • Free-choice participation • Organic Chemistry Education

4. Informal Science Education (ISE) • Definition (from NSTA Position Statement, 1998) • “programs and experiences developed outside the classroom” • “accommodates different learning styles and effectively serves the complete spectrum of learners” • “compliments, supplements, deepens, and enhances classroom science studies”

5. ISE (Definition, part 2) • Free-choice learning (Falk, 2001, p. 7) • “no convincing evidence that the fundamental processes of learning differ” • “non-sequential, self-paced, and voluntary” • “recognizes the socially constructed nature of learning” • “learning is primarily driven by the unique intrinsic needs and interests of the learner”

6. Boy Scouts of America as an ISE • Free-choice (pseudo) learning environment • Youth males - ages 11-17 • Weekly meetings, monthly/yearly camping trips and events (structured meeting times) • Rank advancement, Merit Badge Program (structured curriculum)

7. Why choose the BSA as a research venue? • Difficulty in researching community-based organizations (Nicholson, Weiss, & Campbell, 1994) • Lack of research in Scouting (Jarman, 2005) • Opportunity for Access

8. Jeffrey R. Raker, Boy Scout • Eagle Scout (1999) • Order of the Arrow, Brotherhood Member • “Top 20” National Young American Award • Seven Ranges Scout Reservation Staff (1995, 1997-1999, 2003-2004, 2006-2007) • 2007 Seven Ranges Scout Reservation Ecology & Conservation Director

9. Research Question • What contextual influences (personal, sociocultural, and physical) impact a Scout’s choice to participate in science-related merit badge programs during their summer camp experience?

10. Definitions of terms in the RQ • Merit badge - 121 curricular segments of which 21 are science-related • Summer camp experience - 7 day participation in the merit badge program at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation • Seven Ranges Scout Reservation offers 15 science-related merit badges of 43 total badges

11. Contextual Model of LearningTheoretical Framework • Falk & Dierking (2000) • Three Contexts of Learning • Personal • motivation and expectations; prior knowledge, interests, and beliefs; choice and control • Sociocultural • within-group sociocultural mediation; facilitated mediation by others • Physical • advance organizers and orientation; design; reinforcing events and experiences outside the museum

12. Assessment of the “Contextual Model of Learning” • Weaknesses • Not designed for community-based organization research • Broad inclusion of influences on learning • Ability to assess all three contexts • Strengths • Applicability beyond museums • Significant development of the model • Bridge to other informal science education research

13. Methods • Stratified purposeful sampling strategy (Patton, 2000) • Identify Scouts and their Parents who ARE or ARE NOT participating in the Seven Ranges Preserving Our World’s Energy Resources (POWER) program prior to camp • Identify at camp an Adult Leader of a pre-selected Scout and Parent participant pair

14. Methods (2) • Participant Goal: • Recruit a Scout, their Parent, and their Adult Leader to participate (triangulation strategy) • Conduct a semi-structured interview with each Scout and Adult Leader at camp. • Conduct a semi-structured interview with each Parent either via phone or at camp.

15. Methods (3) • IRB Revision (Week 5 of 7) • Recruit Scout/Parent pairs and Adult Leaders from any Council during a Sunday Leaders Meeting at camp • Why? • Inability to recruit sufficient Scout/Parent pairs via phone. • Scout/Parent pairs are more readily available at camp. • Interest in study once at camp

16. Participants (Goal vs. Actual)

17. Participants (Actual) • 4 Scout/Parent pairs (POWER) • 1 Scout (POWER) • 1 Adult Leader (with POWER participants) • 1 Adult Leader (without POWER participants

18. Bill 15 years old, First Class Father – Asst. SM Peter 16 years old, Eagle Scout Father – Advancement Chair Otto 15 years old, Life Scout Father – Asst. SM Franklin 13 years old, Second Class Father – Asst. SM Participants (POWER)

19. Interviews • Questions came from Theoretical Framework • Three Categories of Questions • Summer Camp Participation • Scouting and Science • Science (General)

20. Summer Camp Participation (Sample Scout Questions) • What interests you in those merit badge(s) or the merit badge program? • How did you learn about the merit badge(s) you are taking this week? • Probes: Scoutmasters, Parents, Peers, Camp Literature • Are there other Scouts from your unit in these merit badge(s) with you?

21. Scouting and Science(Sample Questions) • What science activities or merit badges has you Scout’s unit done in the past? (Parent Question) • In the last year, have you visited a science center or museum with science exhibits? Who did you visit these centers with? (Scout Question)

22. Science (General)(Sample Questions) • What do you like or dislike about science? • What kind of experiments do you do (or do you remember doing) in science class? • What areas of science are you interested in?

23. Analysis • Transcribe and Analyze in Scout/Parent Pairs • Adult Leader data will be transcribed later • Code using Atlas.ti • Determine inter-rater reliability

24. Semester Goals • Finish transcribing Scout and Parent interviews • Code Scout and Parent interviews • Develop a summary of findings