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Informal Science Educators and the Nine Dimensions of Reflective Practice

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Preparing Informal Science Educators

Abstract

Informal science educators must understand the ramifications of their beliefs about teaching and how people learn. As informal educators define who they are and their notions about learning, they will shape informal pedagogical and epistemological learning perspectives. Even though the guidelines informal science educators follow will be different from those used to monitor formal educators, informal science educators should take into consideration one important aspect of formal education, reflective practice. Reflective practice is important for the growth and development of formal educators and now attracts attention from ISE researchers. In order to aid informal science educators in developing a self-awareness of their teaching, I suggest the implementation of the Nine Dimensions of Reflective Practice. In this chapter, I place the Nine Dimensions into three categories, which depict the modes of Theory and Research, Teaching, and Peers, and provide practical examples for how they might be implemented.

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  1. Columbus State University, Columbus, GA, USA

    Patricia G. Patrick

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    Patricia G. Patrick

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Patrick, P.G. (2017). Informal Science Educators and the Nine Dimensions of Reflective Practice. In: Patrick, P. (eds) Preparing Informal Science Educators. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50398-1_3

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