Evaluation, Research, and Policy

The Museum's evaluation and research focuses on three areas:
  • How children and youth develop scientific identity and science practice
  • How teachers learn to teach science in ambitious ways
  • How visitors extend, deepen or even challenge their understanding of science, science practices and scientific ideas

By regularly evaluating our galleries, exhibitions and programs, we can gather data systematically to help us better understand the impact of experiences in the museum on all our audiences and participants.

By engaging in systematic research, we can deepen our understanding of how children, teachers and visitors learn science, and continue to improve our educational practices as well as contribute to the field. And in turn, the results of our evaluations and research help us lead and contribute to policy discussions and decisions about science learning and teaching around the country.

  Evaluation The Museum conducts evaluations of its educational programs and exhibitions. Article Policy The Museum is endeavoring to inform policy initiatives at every level: city, state and federal.   Research Discover our Research about the teaching and learning of science at AMNH.

Education Research Profiles

Karen Hammerness Ph.D, Director of Educational Research and Evaluation

Preeti Gupta Ph.D, Director of Youth Learning

Anna MacPherson Ph.D, Senior Manager of Educational Research and Evaluation

Jamie Wallace Ph.D, Manager of Evaluation & Data

Rachel Chaffee Ph.D, Senior Education Researcher