Michael B. Bennett, Kathleen A. Hinko, Brett Fiedler, and Noah D. Finkelstein.
Abstract: Participation in informal education programs has been demonstrated to increase volunteers’ ability to communicate science and to affect their motivation for continued participation. Recently, it was reported that volunteers tend to engage with students in one of three distinct pedagogical modes, of which they may or may not be aware. As a preliminary step in the investigation of these modes and their effect on instructor manner and efficacy, we have implemented a module on the modes in the basic training given to all volunteers of the Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community program prior to the semester. Using pre- and post-surveys, we have characterized the shifts in their perception of the modes and compared them to semesters prior to the implementation of the training. We find a significant, immediate shift in volunteers’ perceptions and here detail these findings as well as potential pathways for further study.