How Informal Science Education Influences Elementary Students’ Perceptions of Science and Themselves

Underrepresentation in STEM fields starts early, with elementary students already showing differences based on gender and race in their interest in science, belief in their ability to do science, and belief that their personal identity aligns with being a scientist. Here we discuss an out-of-school time astronomy program that focuses on enriching science education in under-served school systems to promote students' excitement about science and help them see scientists as people just like them. Before, after, and throughout the program, we survey students on their perceptions of science, themselves, and their activities. We find that over the course of our program, students become more confident in their science abilities. Student ideas about science remain unchanged, but largely align with Nature of Science ideals. We also find that on days that students report they were creative and asked questions, they were more likely to say they felt like a scientist and were interested in the day's topic. Our results suggest that incorporating creativity and opportunities to ask questions can be just as important as doing experiments for generating interest in and a sense of participating in science.