Engaging learners with chemistry: How can we better understand and design supporting structures and programs?

Many projects that focus on fostering student engagement have been initiated and developed in different parts of the world. Some build on theoretical models and research findings explicitly; others have been designed based on practical experiences. Many have been state-driven or third-party funded, e.g. by industry or foundations that support STEM education developments. The diversity of approaches, foundations and structures make it difficult to draw conclusions from individual programs. The goal of this book and this chapter as a foundation, therefore, is to combine exemplary models of approaches and to explore and analyse them to form a common ground and understanding of what we mean and what we can achieve by engagement for science and chemistry in particular.