S T E M
I N S I G H T S
F R O M
E V I D E N C E
OUTCOMES IN STEM BESIDES ACHIEVEMENT SARAH DUNIFON
Informal learning, also referred to as out-of-
Formal educators are already familiar with
school learning, refers to any learning that takes
assessing their curriculum for alignment with
place outside of a formal classroom. For STEM
national standards and evaluating their students’
learning, this includes museum camps, visits to
learning and progression throughout the school
the zoo, watching STEM-centric TikTok or Youtube
year. They might consider thinking about other
videos, and even experimenting with recipes in
intended impacts of their work, and how those
your kitchen.
constructs - like science identity - can be built
Researchers estimate that up to 95% of a
into their instruction.
person’s life is spent outside of school (Falk &
Three common constructs to informal STEM
Dierking, 2010). Therefore, informal learning is an
education are science identity, science interest,
immensely
and 21st century skills. Please note, while referred
important
element
of
a
person’s
education.
to here as science identity and science interest,
Some informal learning is guided through field
these concepts can be applied to all of STEM
trip programs, after school clubs, or other informal
more generally as you will see in the following
learning contexts, while other informal learning
text.
experiences
are
free-form
and
without
intervention from an adult or other learner.
Science identity is a term which refers to the
socially constructed sense of self as it relates to
Another key difference is the way in which
science. People with strong science identities will
educators think about program impacts. Much of
see themselves as “science people” and tend to
formal learning is structured around academic
have
and social-emotional achievements. While this
performance, and recognition (Carlone & Johnson,
can also be true for some informal learning
2007). Science identity is an important indicator
programs,
on
for persistence in STEM fields, and studies show
psychosocial outcomes, such as building science
that by middle school, students tend to self-select
identity,
out of STEM when they do not see themselves as
many fostering
other
programs
self-efficacy
in
focus STEM,
encouraging pro-environmental behaviors.
STEM|ED MAGAZINE
and
strengths
in
science
competence,
“science people.”
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