Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education: Investigating the Long Term Impact of a Science Center on Its Community

该项目的目标是通过非正式的学习活动促进公众对科学的理解、态度和行为，从而在全国范围内共同理解科学中心的作用和影响。为了实现这一目标，本研究项目将调查以下问题：1)参观科学中心展览会导致科学理解、态度和行为的具体长期变化是什么？导致这些长期变化的因素是什么？3)参观科学中心与随后的强化教育体验之间的关系是什么？这项研究将建立在ILI先前在加州科学中心开展的旨在了解科学中心如何影响其社区的工作的基础上。这些研究被统称为洛杉矶科学教育研究项目（LASER）。在其中一项LASER研究中，参与者的样本已经表达了他们愿意参加后续访谈的意愿。这些访谈的目的是捕捉参观科学中心后在科学理解、态度、行为和其他非正式学习经历方面的大大小小的变化。

The goal of this project is to make a fundamental contribution towards a nationally shared understanding of the role and impact of a science center in facilitating enhanced public understanding, attitudes and behaviors toward science by means of informal learning activities. To accomplish this, this research project will investigate the following questions: 1) What are the specific long-term changes in science understanding, attitudes and behaviors that result from visiting a science center exhibition? 2) What are the factors that contribute to these long-term changes? 3) What is the relationship between science center visits and subsequent reinforcing educational experiences? This study will build on previous work conducted by ILI at the California Science Center aimed at understanding how a science center impacts its community. These studies are known collectively as the Los Angeles Science Education Research Project (LASER). A sample of participants in one of the LASER studies has expressed their willingness to participate in subsequent interviews. These interviews will be designed to capture both small and large changes in science understanding, attitudes, behaviors and other informal learning experiences subsequent to the visit to the science center.