Qualification Requirements for STEM Professionals at Extracurricular STEM Educational Institutions

The study examines the professional profiles, activities and further training needs of people working in extracurricular learning environments in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology, and the conditions that shape their professionalisation. The study is based on a standardised online survey as a descriptive cross-sectional survey, in which STEM actors from business, civil society and the public sector who are involved in project and network work, coordination and organisation, implementation of STEM programmes and conceptual design were surveyed. The sample was selected using non-probability sampling. Using the contact database of the “Stiftung Kinder forschen” (Little Scientists Foundation), 1,122 people working in informal education were invited via a closed link (response rate approx. 46 per cent). In addition, an open link was distributed via newsletters, mailing lists and social media in the STEM education landscape. Data collection took place from May to July 2023 in the form of a standardised online survey; only complete interviews (N=581) were included in the evaluation. The data was not weighted and does not claim to be representative. (GESIS)