Introduction

Debates about the roles of educators and young people in science settings stretch back over many years (Rudolph, 2002, 2005). Generally, scholars in the field of science education agree that children should learn both disciplinary information and the methods of conducting research (Abell, 2007; NRC, 2011). Recent efforts, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), expand expectations for those learning science to include opportunities to engage in science practices such as developing models and interpreting data (Achieve, Inc., 2013; Duschl, 2008; Engle & Conant, 2002; Lehrer & Schauble, 2006). Such goals, however, do not match young people’s experiences as science learners in many formal and informal science settings, particularly regarding the roles learners play in shaping the disciplinary work that occurs (NRC, 2007, 2011; Windschitl et al., 2008).