Innovative ideas often originate from cross-pollination among disciplines. Informal science education (ISE) is a domain wherein many academic disciplines come together, for example: learning is a research focus for child development, psychology and pedagogy. Motivation and engagement is a research topic for psychology and visitor studies. Science teaching is a research topic for science education and didactic thinking. Interdisciplinary research, therefore, is increasingly important for offering a new perspective on the processes and mechanisms that are in play in the context of informal science learning.

In this session, we explore how new ways of looking and new ways of thinking have helped to transform our understanding of science centre practices.

Convener Heather King (Education and Professional Studies, King’s College London),will provide a short introduction to frame the issues in light of recent research and policy. As a contributor to the research2practice.info website, she has considerable experience in translating research studies across a variety of disciplines so that they may be accessible to practitioners in the informal learning field.