Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories

Chia-Hsuan Hsu; Wei-Cheng Kao; Lei Chai

doi:10.29333/ijese/13726

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Chia-Hsuan Hsu ¹ , Wei-Cheng Kao ² , Lei Chai ³ ^*

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¹ Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, JAPAN² Forest Management Division, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, TAIWAN³ Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

In recent years, citizen science has emerged as a vital component of large-scale scientific research, relying on the collaboration of participants and scientists in gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating new discoveries. Research has shown that citizen science participants not only assist in data collection but also make significant contributions to their scientific and environmental education. However, the wide range of learning process and approach associated with citizen science has resulted in numerous studies using different theories to examine learning outcomes. This paper seeks to compile various learning theories that align with citizen science participation and engagement. The theories to be explored include experiential learning, sociocultural theory, social learning theory, free-choice learning, constructivism learning theory, and situated learning. By synthesizing these theories, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the growing body of research on learning with citizen scientists.

Keywords

citizen science
learning theory
science education
environmental education

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Review Article

INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED, 2023, Volume 19, Issue 4, Article No: e2319

https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

Publication date: 25 Sep 2023

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How to cite this article

APA

Hsu, C.-H., Kao, W.-C., & Chai, L. (2023). Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 19(4), e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

Vancouver

Hsu CH, Kao WC, Chai L. Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2023;19(4):e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

AMA

Hsu CH, Kao WC, Chai L. Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories. INTERDISCIP J ENV SCI ED. 2023;19(4), e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

Chicago

Hsu, Chia-Hsuan, Wei-Cheng Kao, and Lei Chai. "Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education 2023 19 no. 4 (2023): e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

Harvard

Hsu, C.-H., Kao, W.-C., and Chai, L. (2023). Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories. Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 19(4), e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726

MLA

Hsu, Chia-Hsuan et al. "Revolutionizing informal education: Intersection of citizen science and learning theories". Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, vol. 19, no. 4, 2023, e2319. https://doi.org/10.29333/ijese/13726