A New Chemistry Education Research Frontier

Chemistry education research (CER) has predominately focused on enhancing learning and instruction in classrooms. However, a host of unexplored research opportunities in informal learning environments can contribute to more effective communication of chemistry to the public. The current lack of chemistry-centered materials in informal science is beginning to change, thus, creating key questions about how learning occurs in these unique, unstructured, and dynamic environments. Science centers are one particular area of focus for informal learning. How to best incorporate chemistry in museum environments as well as how chemistry learning is best facilitated in museums are open areas of investigation. CER in informal environments can use similar theory and methods as CER in formal settings to explore various dimensions of chemistry learning.