New Standardized Self-Efficacy Survey Launched to Support Under-Resourced Informal Science Educators Globally

Discover the new free self-efficacy survey designed to help museum and zoo educators identify skill gaps and secure professional development resources.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 8:10 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert!

Bridging the Evaluation Gap in Non-Traditional Classrooms

Informal educators, such as those at planetariums or botanical gardens, have long operated without the standardized performance metrics that define traditional K-12 schooling. Megan Ennes, a former aquarium educator turned researcher, identified a systemic lack of feedback loops during her time in the field. Unlike formal teachers who follow a structured curriculum with a consistent cohort of students, museum staff often deal with high turnover rates and a total absence of formal evaluation infrastructure. This new self-efficacy survey provides a foundational building block for these professionals, allowing them to measure their own instructional confidence in environments that are notoriously difficult to quantify.

Adapting Pedagogy for Diverse and Transient Audiences

The challenges of teaching in an informal setting are unique, requiring a delicate balance of accuracy and engagement for audiences ranging from toddlers to university graduates. According to Ennes, these educators must satisfy the curiosity of a well-educated adult while simultaneously holding the attention of a five-year-old. This demographic discrepancy makes advanced pedagogy essential, yet informal teachers are often isolated with fewer colleagues to consult than their K-12 counterparts. By modifying criteria originally designed for formal schools, the new assessment accounts for these hyper-transient audiences where meaningful feedback is rarely provided by visitors or management.

A Mathematical Approach to Professional Growth

To ensure the tool was scientifically rigorous, the research team collaborated with Bikram Karmakar, a statistician from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They utilized nine established measurements of pedagogical success to construct a comprehensive 51-question survey. Through factor analysis, the researchers can now group individual responses into broader categories, much like a personality assessment identifies specific traits. This statistical grouping allows educators and museum directors to see overlapping areas of concern rather than viewing each question in isolation, making the data far more actionable for administrators with limited time.