Studies of the impact of museum and science centre learning are challenging. As there are a variety of definitions of engagement with science as well as of learning outcomes of visits to science centers, there is a corresponding need for methodological development and category measurement. Building compelling evidence for learning from museums has proved challenging. This not because the evidence did not exist, but rather because museum learning researchers, museum professionals, and the public alike are in need for new focuses for asking questions concerning science engagement as well as new methodologies for sampling evidences ( Falk and Dierking 2000).

This focus area of Expand will seek to meet the requirement of the Norwegian strategy for raising standards in math and science and the recommendation of the evaluation of Norwegian science centres by expanding methodological approaches to understanding science engagement.Two sub-projects will explore possibilities for expansion of quantitative and qualitative research approaches.

This section has two sub sections: International Science Center Impact Study and Youth Participatory Research on Science Engagement.