Fall 2007 Group Meeting

Jeffrey R. Raker

Towns Research Group

Purdue University

Plan of Action

Current Areas of Interest

Summer Research Study

Semester Goals

Current Areas of Interest

Informal Science EducationBoy Scouts of AmericaFree-choice participation

Organic Chemistry Education

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”

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”

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)

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Participants (Goal vs. Actual)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

POWER(Goal)

POWER(Actual)

Non-POWER(Goal)

Non-POWER(Actual)

ScoutParentAdult Leader

Participants (Actual)

4 Scout/Parent pairs (POWER)

1 Scout (POWER)

1 Adult Leader (with POWER participants)

1 Adult Leader (without POWER participants

Participants (POWER)

Bill15 years old, First

ClassFather – Asst. SM

Peter16 years old, Eagle

ScoutFather –

Advancement Chair

Otto15 years old, Life

ScoutFather – Asst. SM

Franklin13 years old, Second

ClassFather – Asst. SM

Interviews

Questions came from Theoretical Framework

Three Categories of QuestionsSummer Camp ParticipationScouting and ScienceScience (General)

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?

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)

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?

Analysis

Transcribe and Analyze in Scout/Parent PairsAdult Leader data will be transcribed later

Code using Atlas.ti

Determine inter-rater reliability

Semester Goals

Finish transcribing Scout and Parent interviews

Code Scout and Parent interviews

Develop a summary of findings