TCEP researchers recently published a collaborative article in the International Journal of Science Education Part B: Communication and Public Engagement. In this study, which was conducted during a solar eclipse, the researchers used a very brief set of questions to prompt eclipse viewers' thinking about the science behind this incredible event as well as the metaphorical meaning of an eclipse in their own lives. The study advances research in public science engagement through its novel application of a "brief intervention" technique, which prompted visitors to generate multiple personal meanings about the eclipse and share their various motivations for attending the event. The study is part of a broader research TCEP initative on learning and identity exploration in museum and other nonformal settings.
Contact: Dr. Joanna K. Garner: jkgarner@odu.edu
Carver, A., Garner, J.K., Kaplan, A. & Pugh, K. (2021). Visitors' attendance motivation and meaning making at a public science event. International Journal of Science Education Part B: Communication and Public Engagement. DOI:10.1080/21548455.2021.1874620