Not All Science is for Brilliant Minds and Boring People

Abstract

Curriculum standards present educators with content to teach but attitude or readiness to learn are not as frequently addressed. Learning occurs everywhere, from formal classroom instruction to informal outside-of-school activities, encompassing a wide range of experiences and benefits. Extracurricular activities (ECA) generally offer students free-choice experiences that are voluntary, openended, non-sequential, self-directed, hands-on, and evaluation-free. Thus, ECA offer an additional venue to provide opportunities for engaging students in science and allowing them to explore different perspectives, attitudes, social positions, and trajectories of identification.