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While youth derive much of their science learning and appreciation outside of the formal science classroom, educators in afterschool and other out-of-school time (OST) settings have received relatively little investment in their professional learning. One exception is ACRES, a program that provides professional learning modules for OST educators in STEM facilitation skills, including Asking Purposeful Questions. Educators who participate in these facilitation modules exchange feedback with one another in response to the evidence of practice they bring to the professional learning setting. Due to the diverse nature of OST settings and the unique demands OST educators experience in their work, the type of evidence of practice participants bring to these sessions varies. Using a framework of teacher noticing, we explore how peer feedback in Asking Purposeful Questions modules differentiates across these diverse forms of evidence, as well as how differential feedback aligns with outcomes the coaches of Asking Purposeful Questions modules hope to see realized. We explore common forms of evidence educators experience in these cohorts, including video of contrived practice; authentic video with youth; professionally produced videos the coaches provide; and lesson descriptions. We find that, while all forms of evidence elicit noticing and associated feedback exchange supporting the module’s desired outcomes, each may be expected to exhibit specific strengths and limitations. We suggest that coaches may build upon these features to direct educators’ noticing to aspects of the evidence that may be particularly fruitful for learning. 

Despite the wealth of learning youth experience outside formal classrooms, relatively little research has been invested in under- standing out-of-school-time (OST) educators’ professional learning (PL). We explore this need in the context of a STEM facilitation PL program (i.e. Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM, or ACRES) through their foundational PL module, Asking Purposeful Questions, by describing the development and use of the scripted animation survey (SAS) using the framework of educator noticing. First, we detail how we developed and validated an analysis approach to the SAS. Through iterative development with feedback from PL providers, we identified a delivery format; response pro- cess; and codebook that aligned with the program objectives and paralleled the feedback exchange structure familiar to participating educators. Second, we apply the educator noticing framework to illustrate a possible use of the SAS. In comparing pre- and post- administration of the SAS using the noticing framework, we identified a shift in respondents’ noticing to be more aware of youth activity relative to educator activity. We suggest that the SAS may be a useful tool to diagnose and respond to educator attention within a PL program, particularly when logistical and financial con- straints restrict access to longitudinal videos of practice and interviews. 

The author describes how afterschool educators engage in practices that reflect the engineering process.