About me
Dr Sophie Bartlett is an educational researcher and evaluator based at Cardiff University and the International Astronomy Union’s Office of Astronomy for Education. Sophie’s research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how individuals construct attitudes, aspirations, and a sense of empowerment in science and astronomy through their learning experiences and social influences. Sophie also has a keen interest in how meaningful data can be collected from groups who are underrepresented and pose a variety of learning and social needs.
As the Evaluation Lead for the Horizon 2020 programme 'Our Space Our Future', Sophie was responsible for developing and implementing an evaluation framework to measure the impact of the programme’s interventions on its international student, teacher, and public audiences. The aim of Our Space Our Future was to make careers in the space industry an exciting and achievable aspiration for all young people.
At the Office of Astronomy for Education, Sophie is building a review of evaluation practices and a toolkit to aid astronomy education practitioners in evaluating the impact of their initiatives. This review applies a realist approach to account for the myriad of variables and circumstances under which formal and informal education is carried out. The accompanying toolkit will provide practitioners with creative tools that will allow them to delve into the intricacies of their initiatives, and recognise the role of cultural, societal and practical components.
