Ruff Family Science: Researching factors that support intergenerational science learning in adult education contexts

作为加强非正式环境中学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深度学习的理解。该项目将为参与成人教育项目的父母及其子女开发和测试代际科学媒体资源。这些材料将建立在以研究为基础的成功的儿童电视节目《与鲁夫·鲁夫曼一起去捡》的基础上。目标受众包括参加成人教育项目的父母，他们没有高中文凭，或者正在学习英语作为第二语言的课程。这些资源将支持家长在成人教育环境中以及在家中与孩子一起参与科学活动。成人和家庭教育工作者将获得专业发展资源和培训，以支持他们整合家长/儿童活动。项目合作伙伴包括国家家庭学习中心、肯塔基州教育电视台和阿拉巴马州公共电视台。拉夫家庭科学项目的目标是：(1)调查具有代际学习模式的成人教育环境，以了解参加这些项目的成年人和家庭的独特特征；(2)研究支持家长/孩子共同参与科学的制度环境和教育实践；(3)迭代开发新的原型资源，满足代际教育环境中家庭和教育者的优先级和需求；(4)发展所需的知识，在未来创造一套更完整的材料，激励和支持不同的低收入父母和他们的孩子一起调查科学。研究策略由三个主要部分组成：第一阶段：需求评估：确定成人教育学生（同时也是父母）的主要动机和行为；这些家长当前做法中固有的表面障碍和资产；并检查需要和可用的资源，以补充父母目前参与家庭科学学习。第二阶段：原型开发：迭代开发两个原型活动集，以及相关的教育者支持和培训材料，旨在促进英语和西班牙语家庭围绕物理科学概念的亲子共同参与。阶段3：原型现场测试：测试两个精炼的原型活动集如何在不同的教育环境（成人教育、父母教育和父母与孩子在一起的时间）中工作。探索支持或阻碍有效实施的因素。该研究的数据来源包括使用专家访谈协议对成人和家长教育课程的观察，焦点小组，成人和家庭教育者访谈以及家长调查。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants. This project will develop and test intergenerational science media resources for parents that are participating in adult education programs and their young children. The materials will build on the research-based and successful children's television program, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. The target audience includes parents enrolled in adult education programs who lack a high school diploma or are in English as a Second Language classes. These resources will support parents' engagement in science activities with their children both in the adult education settings as well as at home. Adult and family educators will receive professional development resources and training to support their integration of the parent/child activities. Project partners include the National Center for Families Learning, Kentucky Educational Television, and Alabama Public Television,The goals of the Ruff Family Science project are to: (1) investigate adult education settings that feature an intergenerational learning model, in order to learn about the unique characteristics of adults and families who are enrolled in these programs; (2) examine the institutional circumstances and educator practices that support joint parent/child engagement in science; (3) iteratively develop new prototype resources meet the priorities and needs of families and educators involved in intergenerational education settings; and (4) develop the knowledge needed to create a fuller set of materials in the future that will motivate and support diverse, low-income parents to investigate science with their children. The research strategy is comprised of three main components: Phase 1: Needs Assessment: Determine key motivations and behaviors common to adult education students who are also parents; surface obstacles and assets inherent in these parents' current practices; and examine the needs and available resources for supplementing parents' current engagement in family science learning. Phase 2: Prototype Development: Iteratively develop two prototype Activity Sets, along with related educator supports and training materials, designed to promote joint parent-child engagement with English and Spanish-speaking families around physical science concepts. Phase 3: Prototype Field Test: Test how the two refined prototype Activity Sets work in different educational settings (adult education, parent education, and parent and child together time). Explore factors that support or impede effective implementation. Sources of data for the study include observations of adult and parent education classes using an expert interview protocol, focus groups, adult and family educator interviews, and parent surveys.