RAPID: Responding to a Global Pandemic--The Role of K-12 Science Teachers

地平线研究公司(Horizon Research，Inc.)的研究人员表示，当全球健康危机出现时，各级学生都会向他们的科学老师寻求信息，有时还会得到安慰。科学教师担负着至关重要的公共卫生职能，并成为国家应对措施的重要组成部分。考虑到当前新冠肺炎危机的严重性，学生们很可能会把他们的问题和担忧带给他们的科学老师。随着该奖项的颁发，美国几乎所有的K-12学校大楼都关闭了，科学教师面临着前所未有的挑战：一方面要执行他们负责的教学工作，另一方面还要回答学生关于新冠肺炎的问题。此外，他们必须在新的教学模式下做到这一点。尽管存在许多相互矛盾的信息和错误信息，但教育对于帮助学生了解有关病毒的事实至关重要。教育帮助学生了解并积极参与阻止新冠肺炎传播的措施。该奖项将支持一项关于教师如何帮助学生回应新冠肺炎的全国性研究。这些发现将为目前迫切需要的新冠肺炎教学课程材料的开发提供信息，并帮助科学教师在帮助履行关键的公共卫生职能时调整他们的教学。这项研究将使人们能够更好地理解科学教师在国家应对当前和未来危机中所能发挥的作用。这项研究将建立在2014年埃博拉疫情爆发后HRI对科学教师进行的一项研究的基础上。具体地说，这项研究将调查(1)科学教师从哪里获得有关冠状病毒和新冠肺炎的信息；(2)教师认为哪些类型的资源最有用；(3)什么因素影响科学教师在教学中使用新冠肺炎；以及(4)科学教师如何调整教学以应对新冠肺炎。HRI将招募具有全国代表性的数千名K-12科学教师，并邀请他们完成一项关于他们在学校大楼关闭前和关闭后与新冠肺炎相关的教学情况的调查。利用计划行为理论，调查将被构建，以确定预测教师是否会讨论这一主题的因素。调查还将收集有关教师如何应对病毒及其在学生中传播的数据。HRI将按学校、班级、学生和教师层面的变量分解调查数据，以确定学生机会的模式。调查数据将通过对50名调查受访者的访谈来补充，以收集与感兴趣的结构有关的更深入的信息。研究结果将立即通过以调查数据为重点的初步报告、使用新闻稿的主流印刷媒体以及与国家科学教学协会合作的社交媒体来分享。HRI还将出版政策简报，作为对学校、地区和州的指导；以及研究文章。这一快速奖励是由学习研究部门的DRK-12项目利用冠状病毒援助、救济和经济安全(CARE)法案的资金做出的。探索研究学前班计划(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发新的创新和方法，显著提高学前班学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究以及为项目提供理论和经验证明的先前研究和开发工作的基础上。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。

When a global health crisis emerges, students at all levels turn to their science teachers for information and, at times, reassurance, according to researchers at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI). Science teachers serve a critically important public health function and become an important part of the nation’s response efforts. Given the magnitude of the current COVID-19 crisis, it is likely that students are bringing their questions and concerns to their science teachers. As this award is made, nearly all K–12 school buildings in the U.S. are closed, and science teachers face unprecedented challenges in carrying out the instruction for which they are responsible while simultaneously addressing students’ questions about COVID-19. Moreover, they must do this within new instructional formats. Education is crucial for helping students to understand the facts about the virus, despite much conflicting information and misinformation available. Education helps students understand and actively participate in measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This award will support a national research study on how teachers are helping students respond to COVID-19. The findings will inform the development of curriculum materials for teaching about COVID-19, which are much needed right now, and help science teachers to adapt their instruction as they help to fulfill a critical public health function. This study will enable a better understanding of the role that science teachers can play in a national response, both now and in future crises. The research will build on a study of science teachers conducted by HRI following the Ebola outbreak of 2014. Specifically, the research will investigate (1) where teachers of science get their information about coronavirus and COVID-19; (2) what types of resources teachers find most useful; (3) what factors influence whether science teachers address COVID-19 in their instruction; and (4) how science teachers adapt their teaching in response to COVID-19. HRI will recruit a nationally representative sample of several thousand K–12 teachers of science and invite them to complete a survey about their instruction related to COVID-19, both before school buildings closed and after. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the survey will be constructed to identify factors that predict whether teachers take up the topic. The survey will also collect data about how teachers address the virus and its transmission with their students. HRI will disaggregate survey data by school-, class-, student-, and teacher-level variables to identify patterns in student opportunities. Survey data will be supplemented by interviews with 50 survey respondents to gather more in-depth information related to the constructs of interest. Study findings will be immediately shared through a preliminary report that focuses on the survey data; mainstream print media using press releases; and social media partnering with the National Science Teaching Association. HRI also will publish policy briefs intended as guidance for schools, districts, and states; and research articles.This RAPID award is made by the DRK-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning, using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by preK-12 students and teachers, through the research and development of new innovations and approaches. 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 the 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.