Non-Formal Learning Opportunities in Science Teacher Education (DL 30.4.2026)

LUMAT Call for papers: Non-Formal Learning Opportunities in Science Teacher Education

LUMAT invites researchers, practitioners, and educators to contribute to the upcoming special issue on Non-Formal Learning Opportunities in Science Teacher Education

Description

The significance of non-formal learning for science education has become evident (e.g. Affeldt et al., 2017; D’Alton et al., 2025; Stocklmayer et al., 2010; Tolppanen et al., 2015) especially given the pervasive role of science in modern society and the need for fostering scientific literacy (D’Alton et al., 2025; Osborne & Pimentel, 2023).

Non-formal learning is situated between formal and informal learning, often containing some structured elements given by the school curriculum within an informal framework (Affeldt et al., 2017; Stocklmayer et al., 2010; Tolppanen et al., 2015). While definitions of non-formal learning environments may vary, several common characteristics can be identified (e.g., Eshach, 2007; Stocklmayer et al., 2010):

  1. Learning occurs outside of traditional school curriculum.
  2. Learning is organised and goal-oriented in some manner.
  3. Learning takes place through guided activities or the learners' own initiatives.

Thus, non-formal learning should be seen as an adjacent to formal education system that provides more freedom and possibilities for exploration, networking and in-depth learning of particular themes (Tolppanen et al., 2015). In addition, non-formal learning has been found to support teachers' professional competencies (Aksela & Pernaa, 2009; Haatainen et al., 2024) as well as enriching and diversifying their science teaching (Martín-García & Dies Álvarez, 2024). However, there remains a limited understanding of how non-formal learning can contribute to science teacher education and how it can support the various aspects of teacher profession. Therefore, LUMAT invites versatile papers on non-formal learning in science education.

Topics to be addressed can include – but are not limited to:

  • Role of non-formal learning in science teacher education
  • Impact on teachers’ professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes 
  • Theoretical and conceptual frameworks for understanding non-formal learning in teacher professional development 
  • Use of different methods and formats of non-formal learning (e.g., workshops, science centers, online or digital environments, citizen science) 
  • Integration of non-formal learning experiences into classroom practice 
  • Developed pedagogical models 
  • Fostering pre-service teachers or in-service teachers’ professional competencies, teacher identity, scientific literacy etc. through non-formal learning 
  • Comparing the impact of formal vs. non-formal learning experiences on science teachers’ professional identities 
  • Non-formal learning experiences and their influence on science teachers’ motivation 

 

Guidelines: 

  • We welcome both empirical as well as theoretical manuscripts in English 
  • Submission deadline: April 30, 2026 
  • Continuous publication after peer review and acceptance 
  • Article publication charge: 0€. 

Please visit https://journals.helsinki.fi/lumat/about/submissions to learn more about the submissions and author guidelines.  

Editors

Dr. Outi Haatainen, University of Helsinki, Finland 
Prof. Dr. Marika Kapanadze, Ilia State University, Georgia
Prof. Dr. Silvija Markic, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany 

References

Affeldt, F., Tolppanen, S., Aksela, M., & Eilks, I. (2017). The potential of the non-formal educational sector for supporting chemistry learning and sustainability education for all students – a joint perspective from two cases in Finland and Germany. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RP00212A 

Aksela, M., & Pernaa, J. (2009). Kemianluokka Gadolin -opettajien kokemuksia uuden oppimisympäristön käytöstä. In M. Aksela & J. Pernaa (Eds), Arkipäivän kemia, kokeellisuus ja työturvallisuus kemian opetuksessa perusopetuksesta korkeakouluihin: IV Valtakunnalliset kemian opetuksen päivät (p. 10). Kemian opetuksen keskus, Kemian laitos, Helsingin yliopisto. http://hdl.handle.net/10138/306384 

D’Alton, M. J., Thomson, P. I. T., & Scott, F. J. (2025). Non-formal chemistry learning: A scoping review. Chemistry Teacher International, 7(3), 385–409. https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2025-0020 

Haatainen, O., Pernaa, J., Pesonen, R., Halonen, J., & Aksela, M. (2024). Supporting the Teacher Identity of Pre-Service Science Teachers through Working at a Non-Formal STEM Learning Laboratory. Education Sciences, 14(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060649 

Martín-García, J., & Dies Álvarez, M. E. (2024). Beyond the walls of formality: The role of non-formal science activities in teachers’ professional development. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 52(2), 207–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2024.2323924 

Osborne, J., & Pimentel, D. (2023). Science education in an age of misinformation. Science Education, 107(3), 553–571. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21790 

Stocklmayer, S. M., Rennie, L. J., & Gilbert, J. K. (2010). The roles of the formal and informal sectors in the provision of effective science education. Studies in Science Education, 46(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260903562284 

Tolppanen, S., Vartiainen, J., Ikävalko, V.-M., & Aksela, M. (2015). Relevance of Non-Formal Education in Science Education. In I. Eilks & A. Hofstein (Eds), Relevant Chemistry Education: From Theory to Practice (pp. 335–354). SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-175-5_18