The Museum's evaluation and research focuses on three areas:

1. How children and youth develop scientific identity and science practice
2. How teachers learn to teach science in ambitious ways
3. How visitors extend, deepen or even challenge their understanding of science, science practices and scientific ideas

By regularly evaluating our galleries, exhibitions and programs, we can gather data systematically to help us better understand the impact of experiences in the museum on all our audiences and participants.

By engaging in systematic research, we can deepen our understanding of how children, teachers and visitors learn science, and continue to improve our educational practices as well as contribute to the field. And in turn, the results of our evaluations and research help us lead and contribute to policy discussions and decisions about science learning and teaching around the country.