Case Studies of Science Offerings in afterschool Programs learning from science

Afterschool programs have increasingly gained attention as settings that can help enrich students' science learning (Halpern, 2004). Even though science is widely included in afterschool activities, sites often lack adequate materials and staff know-how to implement quality science. Moreover, not much guidance is available on how afterschool sites can offer quality science within the practical constraints of their work To address this need, this article examines after-school science in light of the National Research Coun-cil' s comprehensive synthesis report on promoting science learning in informal environments (NRC, 2009). We present the results of our analysis of qualitative case studies of nine state-funded afterschool sites in Califor-nia, discussing the strengths of these programs against the background of three key site-based constraints— time available for science, staff' s science backgrounds, and instructional materials—as well as the importance PATRiK LuNDH, Ph.D., is an education researcher who leads and conducts research in science and mathematics education in pre-K–12 classrooms as well as in afterschool programs and other informal learning settings. His work includes assessment, evaluation, and basic research on various aspects of the learning process, with an emphasis on using research to support pre-K–12 teachers and after-school line staff in mathematics and science instruction. ANN HouSE, Ph.D., the project director of this study, is a senior research social scientist at the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International. Her research and evaluation experience covers both informal and formal education environments using mixed methods of investigation. She holds a Ph.D. in speech communication from the University of Texas at Austin. BARBARA MEANS, Ph.D., the principal investigator for this project , is co-director of the Center for Technology in Learning. Her research focuses on ways to foster students' learning of advanced skills through the introduction of technology-supported innovations in science and mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology at the is a senior researcher at the Center for Technology in Learning. He studies science teaching and learning in K–12 classrooms and informal settings, often collaborating with practitioners in work that informs both research and practice. A particular interest is the design and study of environments that support ambitious instructional practice and make learning accessible to students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. of partnerships with outside organizations to support sites in overcoming these obstacles. Over the last two decades, experts have called for a shift in science education away from a focus primarily on knowledge …