Beyond the Campus: A Model for Integrating Informal Science Expertise into the Preparation of Preservice Science Teachers

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Interdisciplinary (99) This project aims to adapt two existing programs designed for in-service teachers at the Bronx Zoo to become pre-service teacher education courses for Lehman College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College and the College of New Rochelle. The conservation biology program is adapted to become a semester-long, 45-hour course to give pre-service elementary school teachers an in-depth look at life science with a focus on conservation biology. The environmental science program is adapted for pre-service elementary school teachers to give them not only a background in environmental science content but also the skills and knowledge to teach science comfortably and in tandem with other required disciplines. The focus on environmental science, which draws from many disciplines, is an ideal vehicle to illustrate methods for integrating science across the disciplines.Intellectual Merit The project addresses the questions: In what ways, and to what extent, can a successful training program from an informal science institution be adapted to provide generalist pre-service elementary teachers with appropriate science education knowledge and skills? And, can an effective educational collaboration be formed among an informal science institution and local universities to promote pedagogical change and improve the science knowledge of students?Broader Impacts The main outcomes of the project are: (1) the development of pre-service programs in environmental science and conservation biology for New York City area undergraduate students of diverse ethnicities; (2) a thoroughly documented evaluation study that is disseminated to universities and informal science institutions across the U.S., and (3) a national model demonstrating how informal science institutions can form significant partnerships with universities in pre-service teacher preparation.