Implementing Out-of-School Time STEM Resources - Best Practices from Public Television

Oct 15, 2026

Implementing out-of-school time STEM resources through public media, focusing on best practices derived from seven PBS-connected programs. The paper explains why informal settings matter for expanding science learning opportunities and highlights national investment goals and evidence supporting educational television’s impact on STEM outcomes. It describes program types and STEM resource formats such as activity guides and educator toolkits, and outlines a review methodology based on published and follow-up evaluations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Implementing Out-of-School Time STEM Resources

Best Practices from Public Television

STEM Need and National Investment

Public Media and OST STEM Programming

PBS Programs Reviewed

Methodology and Resources Reviewed

implementing out-of-school time STEM resources Best Practices from Public Television by Christine Andrews Paulsen Business leaders, educators, and government leaders agree that, in order for the United States to retain its standing as a world leader, public and private institutions need to work together to develop a well-qualiﬁed workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) . However, the number of graduates with STEM degrees has not been equal to the need, partly because many students arrive at college unprepared to handle math and science (U. S. Department of Commerce, 2012) . In response to this crisis, billions of dollars have been invested in the public and private sectors to bolster children’s academic achievement in STEM , to fuel their interest in STEM activities , and to foster their desire to pursue STEM in college and as a career (U.S. Government Accountability Ofﬁce, 2012) . Though many of these investments are going into formal classroom programs, others target children in outof-school time (OST) settings including afterschool programs, scout troops, museums, science centers, parks, zoos, aquaria, and homes. In 2009, the National Research Council (NRC) argued, “Programs, especially during out-of-school time, afford a special opportunity to expand science learning experiences for millions of children” (NRC, 2009, p. 5) . The report also says: Science media, in the form of radio, television, the Internet, and hand-held devices, are pervasive and make science information increasingly available to people across venues for science learning. Science CHRISTINE ANDREWS PAULSEN, founder of Concord Evaluation Group (CEG) in Massachusetts, holds a Ph. D. in education research, evaluation, and measurement from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been conducting evaluation research since 1990. Prior to CEG, she worked for the Institute for Social Analysis and the American Institutes for Research. Christine routinely directs evaluations of STEM-related projects in informal settings, focusing on learners and on practitioners. Her main research interest lies in evaluating the use of learning technologies that promise to enhance the lives of traditionally underserved populations. media are qualitatively shaping people’s relationship with science and are new means of supporting science learning. (NRC, 2009, p. 3) The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded many programs to enable public media producers, including public television (TV) stations, to provide children’s STEM programming in OST settings. These projects typically include a children’s TV series (animated or not) aired on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), plus resources, such as hands-on activity guides and educator toolkits, to support STEM learning in OST settings. Evaluation studies have demonstrated the positive impact of educational TV on children’s STEM learning outcomes (Fisch, Lesh,& Crespo, 2010) . This conclusion is echoed in a recent NRC report, which states that “the evidence is strong for the impact of educational television on science learning”(NRC, 2009, p. 3) . Studies have also demonstrated the positive effect of the TV programs’ STEM-related OST resources on children and OST practitioners. Educational Table 1. PBS Programs Reviewed | PROGRAM | DATES PRODUCED | TARGET AUDIENCES | STEM CONCEPTS COVERED | PAPERS REVIEWED | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | DragonﬂyTV | 2002–2009 | 9–12-year-olds | Science | Apley, 2006; Apley, 2008; Flagg, 2009; Robles, Helms,& Phillips, 2009 | | SciGirls (DragonﬂyTV spinoff) | 2010–present | 8–12-year-old girls | Science | Flagg, 2012; Knight-Williams & Williams, 2008 | | Cyberchase | 2002–2012 | 8–12-year-olds | Math | Apley, Graham, & Goldman, 2010; Fisch, 2006; Flagg, 2003a, 2003b | | ZOOM | 1999–2005 | 5–11-year-olds | Science, math, engineering | Goodman, 2005 | | FETCH! | 2006–2010 | 6–10-year-olds | Science, math, engineering | Londhe, Kochman, & Good

FAQs

Why does the paper emphasize out-of-school time (OST) for STEM learning?

It argues that OST programs provide a special opportunity to expand science learning experiences for large numbers of children, complementing gaps in formal classroom preparedness.

What role does public television play in OST STEM resources?

The paper describes funded public media projects, typically combining children’s STEM TV series with hands-on activity guides and educator toolkits to support learning in OST settings.

How were the promising practices and reviewed programs evaluated?

The author reviewed published and unpublished evaluations and followed up with program producers to verify details and confirm interpretations of lessons learned.

Oct 15, 2026

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