Table 4 Selected scientists’ responses to sub-question 1(b)

• I did a Skype visit with a 3rd grade classroom. I was surprised by the level of questions being asked. The questions were much more sophisticated than I expected from 3rd graders. I realized that I had misconceptions about what elementary school students already knew about science, ecology and animal behavior. I did not get a chance to visit with the same class again

• Interacting with students in the classroom helped me realize that I want K12 teaching to be a large component of my career. However, after multiple classroom visits I felt that I would prefer teaching in an informal setting, such as a museum

• I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and perspective regarding my journey as a paleontologist. It was great to see students excited about science!

• The visits were amazing! Over the course of multiple visits, I got to understand my audience better and tailored my speeches to be about what they wanted to hear, not just what I thought they wanted to hear

• I visited teachers’ classrooms through video conferencing; it was a wonderful experience to share my research with students, as well as to answer their questions about my research

• It impacted me deeply, but hard to put it in words. It was just a very rewarding experience as I could see excitement on students and real-time change of perceptions

• I never visited a classroom but I did do two Skype presentations to a second grade science class. Having the opportunity to interact with the children and see their excitement for science was quite motivational. I really am living the dream!