ABSTRACT
This chapter considers children's out-of-school learning and studies in detail three sources which teachers can make use of it. Three sources of 'informal' learning in science: pupils' use of ICT in the home; text and print encountered out of school, be it supermarket, publicity leaflet, advert or news cutting; and interactive science centres of various kinds. The chapter discusses the way in which print and reading from any outside source can be used in science education, although the main focus is on text from newspapers. The science presented in newspapers can be of value in the school science curriculum but only if used carefully and critically. Interactive science centres (ISCs) make a significant contribution in three areas: the cognitive domain, the affective domain, and the important job of linking science and scientific concepts to real-world experiences. Science centres can enrich and broaden the formal science curriculum.
