Developing a Place-based STEM Education Model for Cultural Connections to Alaska Science

该项目将设计和研究文化联系过程模型（CCPM），这是一种基于地点的、文化上可持续的STEM教育资源和模型，将吸引阿拉斯加原住民和其他高中生参与STEM。项目方法以土著知识系统（即嵌入在区域、土著或当地社区文化传统中的知识）为基础，并纳入了相关的北极科学研究。基于文化的教育是基于地方的教育（PBE），植根于文化价值观、祖传知识和传统语言。项目组成员包括阿拉斯加土著长老和顾问、大学教育工作者和北极研究人员。阿拉斯加的农村地区大致与阿拉斯加土著部落家园的边界一致。该项目将在阿拉斯加四个分布广泛的地理区域开展，涵盖四种土著文化（Iñupiat、Gwich 'in Athabascan、Tlingit/Tsimshian和alutiq），为24所学校的约1300名学生提供服务。该项目将包括来自每个地区的阿拉斯加原住民顾问团队，他们将与项目团队合作，共同开发一系列10个实践课程单元和阿拉斯加科学视频。项目研究将解决以下四个问题：1)如何在文化和地理上更加多样化的人口中有效实施CCPM ？2)在阿拉斯加学校的广泛选择下，基于ccpm的教育资源如何有效地提高学生的参与度，帮助学生将科学概念语境化；让文化承担者参与到学习过程中来？3)基于ccpm的产品在多大程度上补充了本土理论教育框架？4)哪些培训方法和资源对准备学区员工使用CCPM最有用？项目研究方法将通过与项目团队（阿拉斯加大学、费尔班克斯大学的教育工作者和研究人员、参与地区的教师）和参与的土著社区的合作共同创建。这一进程将以源自土著文化价值观的文化协议以及认识和验证知识的方式为指导。土著分析已知世界的方法依赖于通过讲故事和分享经验来合作构建理解。该项目还将收集土著叙述和口头语言（目前处于濒危状态）的音频和视频，为未来的学者保存文化知识和世代智慧。该项目将直接从共同发展团队的参与者、长者、顾问和学区官员那里收集数据。数据来源将包括焦点小组会议、访谈、调查、参与前和参与后的学生测量，以及项目团队和区域咨询团队进行的共同创造过程的大量文件。研究成果将通过期刊文章、会议报告、社区/部落会议和项目网站广泛传播。探索研究preK-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preK-12学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）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实证依据。 该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Developing a Place-based STEM Education Model for Cultural Connections to Alaska ScienceThe project will design and research the Cultural Connections Process Model (CCPM), a place-based, culturally sustaining STEM educational resources and model that will engage Alaska Native and other high school students in STEM. The project approach is strongly informed by Indigenous knowledge systems (i.e., knowledge embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, Indigenous or local communities) and incorporates relevant arctic scientific research. Culturally-based education is Place-Based Education (PBE) rooted with cultural values, ancestral knowledge, and heritage language. The project team includes Native Alaskan elders and advisors, university educators and arctic researchers. Alaska’s rural districts loosely align with the boundaries of Alaska Native tribal homelands. The project will take place in four widely-dispersed geographic regions across Alaska encompassing four Indigenous cultures (Iñupiat, Gwich’in Athabascan, Tlingit/Tsimshian, and Alutiiq), serving approximately 1,300 students in 24 schools. The project will involve a team of Native Alaska advisors from each region, who will work together with the project team to co-develop a series of 10 hands-on curriculum units and Alaska-based science videos. Project research will address four questions related to the transferability, sustainability and adaptability of the CCPM: 1) How can the CCPM be implemented effectively with a more culturally and geographically diverse population? 2) With a broad selection of Alaska schools, how effectively do the CCPM-based education resources increase student engagement, help students contextualize science concepts to place; and engage culture bearers in the learning process? 3) To what extent do CCPM-based products complement Indigenous theoretical education frameworks? 4) Which training methods and resources are most useful in preparing school district staff to use the CCPM? Project research methodologies will be co-created through collaboration with the project team (University of Alaska, Fairbanks educators and researchers, teachers from participating districts) and participating Indigenous communities. This process will be guided by using cultural protocols stemming from indigenous cultural values and ways of knowing and validating knowledge. The Indigenous ways of analyzing what is known about the world relies on collaborative construction of understanding through storytelling and sharing experiences. The project will also collect Indigenous narratives and spoken languages (currently endangered) on audio and video, preserving cultural knowledge and generational wisdom for future scholars. The project will collect data directly from participants on the co-development teams, elders, advisors, and school district officials. Data sources will include focus group sessions, interviews, surveys, pre- and post-participant student measures, and extensive documentation of co-creation processes conducted by the project team and regional advisory teams. Research findings will be widely distributed via journal articles, conference presentations, community/tribal meetings, and the project website.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.