UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

From STEM learning ecosystems to STEM learning markets: critically conceptualising relationships between formal and informal STEM learning provision

Archer, Louise; Freedman, Esme; Chowdhuri, Meghna Nag; DeWitt, Jennifer; Gonzalez, Francisco Garcia; Liu, Qian; (2025) From STEM learning ecosystems to STEM learning markets: critically conceptualising relationships between formal and informal STEM learning provision. International Journal of STEM Education , 12 (1) , Article 22. 10.1186/s40594-025-00544-4. Green open access

[thumbnail of s40594-025-00544-4 (1).pdf]
Preview
PDF
s40594-025-00544-4 (1).pdf - Published Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Formal and informal STEM learning settings are often assumed to interconnect, as conveyed by the widely used metaphor of the STEM learning ‘ecosystem’. While this metaphor usefully conveys the sense of a complex system that comprised interconnected, differentiated parts, it has been critiqued for struggling to engage with power relations and remains more of an aspiration/ ideal, rather than depicting the reality of current STEM learning systems. RESULTS: This paper critically reflects on how we might think about and conceptualise the relationships between the myriad of offers that comprise formal and informal STEM learning provision, with the aim of supporting more equitable and inclusive policy and practice. We employ a Bourdieusian conceptual lens, arguing that relationships between formal and informal learning organisations might be more productively theorised as a ‘market’. To explore the purchase of these metaphors, we draw on qualitative data from an international research–practice partnership project conducted between university researchers, practitioners and youth from six makerspaces in five countries. Specifically, we focus on data collected via 230 interviews with 100 + young people, 28 practitioners and a small number of parents, plus 23 youth group discussions/workshops and 62 observations of practice. Analysis identifies four main types of relationship between schools and makerspaces (termed ‘recruitment’, ‘outreach’, ‘hosted visits’ and ‘full-circle’ relationships). Practitioners simultaneously valued maintaining a distance and separation between formal and informal settings (reflecting the distinct value afforded by makerspaces) and called for new and different relationships with schools. Analysis explores the affordances and limitations of both the ecosystem and market metaphors for understanding these relationships between formal and informal STEM learning settings. CONCLUSION: We argue that the market metaphor augments the ecosystem metaphor by offering a more critical understanding and engagement with equity issues and power relations pertaining to STEM learning systems and hence has greater potential to support and inform equity-orientated policy and practice across both formal and informal sectors.

Type: Article
Title: From STEM learning ecosystems to STEM learning markets: critically conceptualising relationships between formal and informal STEM learning provision
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1186/s40594-025-00544-4
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-025-00544-4
Language: English
Additional information: © 2025 BioMed Central Ltd. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Schools, Makerspaces, Informal STEM learning, Partnership, Ecosystem, Market, Metaphor
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Development Planning Unit
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10208443
Downloads since deposit
2Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item