Collaborative Research: Designing for science learning in schools by leveraging participation and the power of place through community and citizen science.

目前科学教育的优先事项包括努力使学生参与科学推理，并利用科学知识和实践来理解自然现象并建设性地应对地方和全球挑战。该项目通过为小学生及其教师开发和测试以地点为基础的环境科学研究和监测计划来回应这些优先事项。学生将研究与森林健康有关的当地现象，如火灾管理和入侵物种。学生将收集和分析与资源管理问题相关的数据，并与社区科学家和利益相关者分享研究结果。该项目将为农村人口服务不足的学校、区和县开发和测试一种可复制和适应性强的基于地点的教学模式。这一针对3-5年级学生和教师的早期设计和开发项目涉及两个主要目标：1)设计和实施专注于当地森林管理问题的科学教育计划，以促进与社区相关的学习和机构；2)进行基于设计的研究，以确定让年轻学生参与有目的的数据收集和解释以及与当地利益相关者进行知情互动的有效方法。这项研究包括农村地区12个学区的15所综合性公立学校和特许学校，这些学校获得城市中心通常可获得的正式和非正式科学学习机会的机会有限。研究活动由两个研究问题指导：1)参加以学校为基础、社区参与、以地点为基础、以环境为重点的项目的学生在多大程度上以及以什么方式发展环境科学机构？和2)三个中心设计特征的哪些设计变体培养了学生的三个科学学习成果？三个中心设计特征是：1)收集与地点相关的环境数据，2)利用收集的数据嵌入更大的数据集，促进意义的产生，以及3)社区参与的、基于地点的项目和互动。将使用基于设计的研究方法来确定计划中的设计变化如何影响学习。该项目将涉及三个设计周期，每个周期为期两年，根据在每个执行周期中获得的见解进行调整。项目实施前后的调查结果将用于跟踪学生环境科学机构(ESA)的变化，并将使用实地观察、对学生和教师的半结构化访谈以及对学生作业和手工艺品的检查来收集用于回答研究问题的数据。探索研究预科-12项目(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高预科-12年级学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验上的证明。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Current priorities in science education include efforts to engage students in scientific reasoning and using the knowledge and practices of science to understand natural phenomena and constructively respond to local and global challenges. This project responds to these priorities by developing and testing a place-based environmental science research and monitoring program for elementary school students and their teachers. Students will investigate locally-relevant phenomena related to forest health, such as fire management and invasive species. The students will collect and analyze data related to resource management issues and share findings with community scientists and stakeholders. The project will develop and test a reproducible and adaptable place-based instructional model for schools, districts, and counties having underserved rural populations.This early stage design and development project for students and teachers of grades 3-5 addresses two major goals: 1) Design and implement a science education program focused on local forest management issues to promote community-relevant learning and agency, and 2) Conduct design-based research to identify effective approaches to engaging young students in purposeful data collection and interpretation, and informed interaction with local stakeholders. The study includes 15 comprehensive public schools and charter schools in 12 school districts in a rural region having limited access to the formal and informal science learning opportunities typically available in urban centers. Research activities are guided by two research questions: 1) To what extent and in what ways do students participating in a school-based, community-engaged, place-based, environmental-focused program develop environmental science agency? And 2) Which design variations of the three Central Design Features foster the three science learning outcomes for students? The three Central Desig Features are: 1) Collecting place-relevant environmental data, 2) Facilitated meaning-making with collected data embedded within larger data sets, and 3) Community-engaged, place-based projects and interactions. A design-based research approach will be used to determine how the planned design variations impact learning. The project will involve three design cycles of two-years each, with adjustments being based on insights gained during each implementation cycle. Pre- and post-program sureveys will be used to track changes in student environmental science agency (ESA), and field observations, semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, and examination of student work and artifacts will be used to gather data used to answer the research questions.The Discovery Research PreK-12 Program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.