This presentation will describe a project led by the National Informal STEM Education Network and the American Chemical Society aimed at increasing visitors’ interest, relevance, and self-efficacy with respect to chemistry. A group of educators and researchers at science museums, ACS and university partners from around the nation are testing activities and facilitation methods on the floor of science museums around the country, recording data about the interactions and impacts they observe on visitors, and then making iterative changes to the activities and facilitation materials in an effort to increase interest, relevance and self-efficacy. In the next phase of the project, kits including informal hands-on activities and facilitation and professional development materials will be distributed to 250 sites around the United States for implementation during National Chemistry Week in October of 2018. The work of the project will inform a new learning framework for the informal science education field, and may be useful in injecting more chemistry content into informal learning institutions. This presentation will share goals, partnerships and activities for the project, present and describe materials that will be part of the dissemination kit, and suggest ways in which ACS partners can become involved in this national-scale research project that is supported by an Advancing Informal Science Learning award from the National Science Foundation.

ChemAttitudes: Developing and disseminating strategies and materials to support chemistry interest, relevance, and self-efficacy

255th National Meeting (2018)

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