Driven to Discover: Citizen Science Inspires Classroom Investigation

推动发现：公民科学激发课堂调查公民科学是指志愿者和科学家之间的伙伴关系，回答现实世界的问题。该项目的目标受众是广泛背景下的初中和高中教师及其学生：两个城区、一个内环郊区和三个农村地区。该项目利用现有的公民科学项目作为跳板，在密集的夏季研讨会期间为教师提供专业发展。项目课程帮助教师利用学生对公民科学的参与，使他们充分参与科学实践；从提出问题，到进行独立研究，再到分享发现。通过地区专业学习社区（plc），教师与地区和项目工作人员一起支持和示范项目的实施。当学生和他们的老师参与项目活动时，项目团队正在解决两个关键的研究问题：1)促进学生参与科学过程的教学实践的本质是什么？2)这种参与如何影响学生的学习，特别注意在公开、高知名度的场所参与研究报告的好处？该项目的主要贡献是加强了a)基于生态的公民科学项目、STEM课程和学生生活之间的联系；b)科学学习和阅读、写作和数学方面的学科素养。研究设计和分析的重点是了解涉及公民科学和独立调查的专业发展如何影响教师的课堂实践和学生的学习。本研究利用现有的工具来调查教师的课堂实践、学生的参与和认知活动：教师准备和课堂观察协议的卓越合作，以及科学教学观察协议的探究。这些工具用于课堂观察，这些班级的学生代表了参与地区的多样性。每个公民科学主题的课程资源，交叉引用NGSS的学科内容和实践，包括：1)参考书目（书籍、网络链接、相关研究文章）；2)涉及项目相关科学内容和背景的教案和学生科学期刊；3)短视频，帮助教师介绍项目和锚定数字图书馆，以促进传播。超出项目时间框架的影响和将参与的约160名教师将得到解决NGSS生命科学主题的课程单元的支持，以及这些材料在各种场所的广泛传播。评估的重点是对暑期工作坊、课堂整合、plc和学生学习的结果和满意度。它提供了基于定性和定量工具的形成性和总结性发现，这些工具与研究中使用的工具一样，具有充分记录的可靠性和有效性。其中包括评估教师信念的科学教学效能信念量表；改革后的教学观察方案评估教师实践；标准评定清单，对PLC质量进行评定；以及评估学生对科学态度的科学态度量表。项目可交付成果包括：1)课程资源将支持参与现有的五个包含基于标准的科学内容的公民科学项目；2)学生研究报告的场所，可以在其他环境中复制；3)编制适合教师的小学科研论文，为促进学科素养提供一个模式。该项目每年聘用40名教师和他们的学生。

Driven to Discover: Citizen Science Inspires Classroom Investigation Citizen science refers to partnerships between volunteers and scientists that answer real world questions. The target audiences in this project are middle and high school teachers and their students in a broad range of settings: two urban districts, an inner-ring suburb, and three rural districts. The project utilizes existing citizen science programs as springboards for professional development for teachers during an intensive summer workshop. The project curriculum helps teachers use student participation in citizen science to engage them in the full complement of science practices; from asking questions, to conducting independent research, to sharing findings. Through district professional learning communities (PLCs), teachers work with district and project staff to support and demonstrate project implementation. As students and their teachers engage in project activities, the project team is addressing two key research questions: 1) What is the nature of instructional practices that promote student engagement in the process of science?, and 2) How does this engagement influence student learning, with special attention to the benefits of engaging in research presentations in public, high profile venues? Key contributions of the project are stronger connections between a) ecology-based citizen science programs, STEM curriculum, and students' lives and b) science learning and disciplinary literacy in reading, writing and math.Research design and analysis are focused on understanding how professional development that involves citizen science and independent investigations influences teachers' classroom practices and student learning. The research utilizes existing instruments to investigate teachers' classroom practices, and student engagement and cognitive activity: the Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation and Classroom Observation Protocol, and Inquiring into Science Instruction Observation Protocol. These instruments are used in classroom observations of a stratified sample of classes whose students represent the diversity of the participating districts. Curriculum resources for each citizen science topic, cross-referenced to disciplinary content and practices of the NGSS, include 1) a bibliography (books, web links, relevant research articles); 2) lesson plans and student science journals addressing relevant science content and background on the project; and 3) short videos that help teachers introduce the projects and anchor a digital library to facilitate dissemination. Impacts beyond both the timeframe of the project and the approximately 160 teachers who will participate are supported by curriculum units that address NGSS life science topics, and wide dissemination of these materials in a variety of venues. The evaluation focuses on outcomes of and satisfaction with the summer workshop, classroom incorporation, PLCs, and student learning. It provides formative and summative findings based on qualitative and quantitative instruments, which, like those used for the research, have well-documented reliability and validity. These include the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument to assess teacher beliefs; the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol to assess teacher practices; the Standards Assessment Inventory to assess PLC quality; and the Scientific Attitude Inventory to assess student attitudes towards science. Project deliverables include 1) curriculum resources that will support engagement in five existing citizen science projects that incorporate standards-based science content; 2) venues for student research presentations that can be duplicated in other settings; and 3) a compilation of teacher-adapted primary scientific research articles that will provide a model for promoting disciplinary literacy. The project engages 40 teachers per year and their students.