Enabling TV Meteorologists to Provide Viewers with Climate Change-related Science Education Based on ISE 'Best Practices'

该项目确定电视气象学家是关于气候变化主题的非正式科学教育的潜在重要来源。这些专业人士是当地社区中备受尊敬的科学信息来源，但他们很少在天气预报中提到气候变化。提议者将进行一系列研究，探索利用电视广播作为有效的非正式传播工具传播有关气候变化的科学信息的机制和障碍。在研究1中，他们将确定已经被“早期采用者”使用的方法，将它们与非正式科学教育中的最佳解释实践进行比较，并提出改进实践的建议。在研究2中，他们将调查气象学家和他们的新闻主管，以确定他们对气候变化信息和材料的动机和需求。他们将根据他们的发现，并根据先前的工作，开发一套教育材料，主要是一套30秒的片段，可以作为全国电视气象学家的资源。在研究3中，他们将与南卡罗来纳哥伦比亚的一家电视台对材料进行准实验评估，以确定它们对观众的影响。核心项目团队包括科学传播和教育、物理海洋学、广播气象学和媒体效果评估方面的专家，顾问委员会包括国家环境教育基金会项目副总裁和天气频道首席气象学家。传播机制将包括一系列关于研究结果的出版物和介绍，以及一个分享早期采用者使用的材料的网站。总的来说，该项目将促进非正式科学教育领域对广播媒体中有效的解释实践和未被充分研究的专业人员群体的动机和实践的理解。它将研究一种创新的方法，以提高公众对气候变化重要议题的认识和理解，并在仔细研究和最佳实践的基础上制作一套视频剪辑和相关材料。

This project identifies TV meteorologists as a potentially important source of informal science education on the topic of climate change. These professionals are a well-respected source of scientific information in their local communities, yet rarely address climate change in their weather broadcasts. Proposers will conduct a series of studies that explore both mechanisms and obstacles to using TV broadcasts as effective informal communication vehicles for scientific information about climate change. In Study 1, they will identify methods already in use by "early adopters," compare them to best explanatory practices in informal science education, and make recommendations to improve practice. In Study 2, they will survey meteorologists and their news directors to determine their motivations and needs for information and materials regarding climate change. Based on their findings, and informed by prior work, they will develop a set of educational materials, principally a set of 30-second segments that can serve as a resource for TV meteorologists nation-wide. In Study 3, they will conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation of the materials with a TV station in Columbia, South Carolina to determine their impact on viewers. The core project team includes experts in science communication and education, physical oceanography, broadcast meteorology, and media effects evaluation, and the advisory board includes the Vice President of Programs at the National Environmental Education Foundation and the Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Channel. Dissemination mechanisms will include a range of publications and presentations for the research findings, and a website for the sharing of materials used by the early adopters. Overall, the project will advance the informal science education field's understanding of both effective explanatory practices in broadcast media and the motivations and practices of an understudied group of professionals. It will investigate an innovative means of increasing public awareness and understanding of important topics in climate change, and as well as creating a set of video-clips and related materials based on careful study and best practices.