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

跨学科（99） 该项目旨在调整为布朗克斯动物园在职教师设计的两个现有方案，使其成为雷曼学院、布鲁克林学院、亨特学院和新罗谢尔学院的职前教师教育课程。 保护生物学计划是适应成为一个学期，45小时的课程，让职前小学教师深入了解生命科学，重点是保护生物学。 环境科学计划是适合职前小学教师给他们不仅在环境科学内容的背景，但也教科学舒适，并与其他所需学科的技能和知识。 对环境科学的关注，它来自许多学科，是一个理想的工具来说明跨学科整合科学的方法。智力优点该项目解决的问题：以什么方式，并在何种程度上，可以从一个非正式的科学机构成功的培训计划进行调整，以提供通才职前小学教师适当的科学教育知识和技能？ 此外，非正式的科学机构与本地大学之间能否形成有效的教育合作，以促进教学改革和提高学生的科学知识？更广泛的影响该项目的主要成果是：（1）为纽约市地区不同种族的本科生开发环境科学和保护生物学的职前课程;（2）向美国各地的大学和非正式科学机构传播一项有充分记录的评估研究，以及（3）一个国家模式，展示非正式科学机构如何与大学在教师职前准备方面形成重要的伙伴关系。

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.