Collaborative Research: Research: Zoo And Aquarium Action Research Collaborative (ZAARC)

动物园和水族馆行动研究合作研究项目以动物园和水族馆工作人员为目标，采用级联行动研究模型，旨在建立非正式科学教育领域开展游客学习研究的能力。研究问题集中在参与动物园和水族馆工作人员对游客体验进行行动研究的经验，以及他们如何利用研究所得的信息来改进和发展教育计划。在项目的第一年，动物园和水族馆的工作人员将对参观他们机构的游客实施一项行之有效的教育活动，并学习如何在他们的环境中发展和实施行动研究。在项目的第二年，动物园和水族馆的工作人员将运用他们在行动研究中的新技能，并提出他们自己的问题来调查游客在他们自己的组织环境中的学习情况。项目工作人员将对动物园和水族馆的工作人员进行行动研究方面的培训，提供技术援助，并促进各地点和工作人员之间的合作。该项目将有助于在该领域学习专业发展模式，以及如何发展ISE员工的研究能力。该项目的合作伙伴包括TERC和俄勒冈州立大学，地点位于六个州的动物园和水族馆，包括CA， MO， MA， AZ， MD和WA。在这些机构中，每个机构将有约15名高级工作人员参加专业发展。该项目的评估将侧重于行动研究合作模式所产生的学习，以及作为专业发展参与行动研究对ISE员工的影响。评价方法将包括对参与者的调查和访谈、观察、文件审查和实地考察。该项目的成果包括提高动物园和水族馆工作人员进行游客学习研究的能力，通过研讨会和会议广泛传播的合作行动研究项目的案例研究，以及在会议上发表和发表的研究论文。

The Zoo and Aquarium Action Research Collaborative research project targets zoo and aquarium staff with a cascading action research model meant to build the capacity of the informal science education field to conduct research on visitor learning. Research questions focus around the experiences of participating zoo and aquarium staff in conducting action research on visitor experiences and how they use the information from that research to improve and develop educational programs. In the first year of the project, zoo and aquarium staff will implement a well validated educational activity with visitors to their institutions and learn how to develop and implement action research in their context. In the second year of the project, zoo and aquarium staff will take their new skills in action research and develop their own questions to investigate visitor learning in their own organizational settings. Project staff will train zoo and aquarium staff in action research, provide technical assistance and facilitate collaboration among the sites and staff. This project will contribute to learning in the field about models for professional development and how to develop the research capacity of ISE staff. Partners in this project include TERC and Oregon State University and sites are situated in zoos and aquariums in six states including CA, MO, MA, AZ, MD and WA. At each of these institutions approximately 15 senior staff will participate in the professional development. Evalaution of the project will focus on the learning that is generated about collaborative models for action research and the impact on ISE staff of participating in action research as professional development. Methods for the evaluation will include surveys and interviews with participants, observations, document review and site visits. Outcomes of the project include increased capacity for zoo and aquarium staff to conduct research on visitor learning, case studies of collaborative action research projects that will be disseminated widely through workshops and conferences, and research papers presented at conferences and published.