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Please consider submitting your work and also helping us spread the word about this focused collection.
The text below can also be found at:
https://journals.aps.org/prper/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.020002
Janelle
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Guest Editors
Janelle M. Bailey and Julia D. Plummer
Some call astronomy a “gateway science”—one that has a natural appeal to many people and that can be used to illustrate a great number of scientific principles. Research on teaching and learning astronomy, whether in formal or informal education settings, can provide new avenues for improving science literacy, generating science interest, accessing deep conceptual understanding, and broadening participation in STEM fields.
Astronomy education research (AER) has much in common with physics education research. Because of this, we believe that Physical Review Physics Education Research (PRPER) has the potential to become a premier outlet for AER. Toward this end, we are happy to announce a PRPER focused collection devoted to documenting important current themes within AER. Although astronomy education researchers are welcome to submit their work to the journal at any time, we encourage you to submit your work for inclusion in this focused collection. We invite articles that address any area of astronomy education research. These might include, but are not limited to the following:
* • investigations that compare different instructional approaches to learning astronomy;
* • faculty development around teaching astronomy;
* • innovative technological approaches in teaching astronomy, such as planetariums, visualizations, and online learning platforms;
* • studies of affective and motivational issues in astronomy education;
* • research on curricular or outreach projects;
* • explorations of student engagement in scientific practices in astronomy.
We encourage submissions from the “Astro 101” community, as well as those conducting research on K-12 students and teachers, advanced undergraduate and graduate coursework, visitors to free-choice learning environments, and teacher and faculty development. We expect most accepted papers to be based on empirical studies. A broad range of methodological approaches are welcome, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and design-based studies. However, we also welcome submissions of theoretical papers and review articles.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Interested authors should submit 500-word proposals for full papers by October 31, 2016, to the guest editors, Janelle Bailey and Julia Plummer, at [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. Proposals for manuscripts of empirical studies must include a brief discussion of the research methodology and/or data sources the work will include. Proposals for theoretical or review articles should include a sampling of key references the work will draw upon. Please include a sentence identifying the type of manuscript that is envisioned (i.e., empirical, theoretical, or review). Contact information and institutional affiliation of the lead author should be included with the proposal.
The guest editors will review proposals and notify authors of the status of their submission by November 30, 2016. For proposals that are encouraged to the next stage, we will ask authors to prepare manuscripts that will go through the standard PRPER submission and review process (details to be provided). Completed draft manuscripts will be due on May 15, 2017. The special issue is expected to be published around January 2018.
This focused collection will be supported by an advisory board comprised of Sanlyn Buxner (University of Arizona), Andy Elby (University of Maryland), Tom Foster (Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville), Doug Lombardi (Temple University), and Shannon Willoughby (Montana State University). Volunteers to review articles are welcome; please send a message to the guest editors [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
PRPER is an open-access journal with articles published under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Please note that all normal PRPER policies, including article processing charges, apply. Seehttps://journals.aps.org/prper/about for more information about the journal.
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Janelle M. Bailey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science Education
President, American Association of Physics Teachers – http://www.aapt.org
Ritter Hall, Room 456
215-204-5195 office
702-513-8763 mobile
Temple University
Department of Teaching & Learning
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091
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