Organized Out-of-School STEM Education

Dear Colleagues,

This Topic offers a forum for researchers investigating organized out-of-school STEM education for K-12 students. Examples of organized out-of-school education initiatives include after-school programs; workshops and field trips; visits to science museums, science centers, and planetariums; competitions and fairs; and online courses and programs. They are typically designed to enhance students’ learning experiences and interest in STEM through hands-on, interactive, and experiential learning. However, we are open to broad definitions of out-of-school STEM education and various pedagogical foci. We welcome research, particularly – but not exclusively – in the following areas:

1. Effectiveness and impact
• How does participation in organized out-of-school STEM education affect students’ interest, achievement, and other outcomes?
• Can long-term effects (e.g., on participants’ course and occupational choices or career paths) be observed?
2. Participation
• What factors affect students’ access to and participation in organized out-of-school STEM education?
• Are there differences in participation in organized out-of-school STEM education, e.g., regarding gender, ethnicity, disabled people, or socioeconomic status, and why is this the case?
3. Educational concepts and didactics
• What features of organized out-of-school STEM offerings most effectively promote student interest and skills?
• How do different teaching methods and strategies in organized out-of-school STEM education affect student learning and motivation?
4. Cooperation
• How do collaborations with institutions (schools, universities, businesses, non-profit organizations) affect the quality and reach of organized out-of-school STEM education initiatives?
• What role does informal (parents, peers, neighborhood, etc.) out-of-school support play in organized out-of-school STEM education?
5. Technology
• What roles do digital technologies and online platforms play in providing organized out-of-school STEM education?
• How can new technologies and innovative approaches improve organized out-of-school STEM offerings and make them more accessible?
6. Evaluation
• What are the best methods and tools for evaluating the effectiveness of organized out-of-school STEM education?
• How can the effectiveness and impact of organized out-of-school STEM education be measured and documented in the long term?

We hope to receive qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies from researchers working in disciplines such as education, sociology, or psychology. Based on their findings, we would like them to provide practical implications and recommendations for designing organized out-of-school STEM offerings. Though theoretical papers, particularly review papers, are welcome, purely descriptive papers will not be accepted.

Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stoeger
Prof. Dr. Martin Storksdieck
Prof. Dr. Albert Ziegler
Topic Editors