Justice-Centered Climate Change Pedagogy Through Placed-Based, Student-Driven Action Projects

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。在美国的课堂上，气候变化教学主要关注对气候变化或环境正义的原因和后果的科学理解，而不是社会或政治理解。然而，在世界范围内，与同龄人相比，来自黑人、土著和其他有色人种社区的学生首当其冲地承受着环境负担和由这些负担导致的较差的健康结果。以正义为中心的气候教育学，灵感来自莫拉莱斯-道尔(Morales-Doyle)(2017)的“以正义为中心的科学教育学”概念，为学生提供了一个成为“变革性知识分子”的机会，学习围绕影响他们社区的气候变化问题的科学和社会背景。然而，在实施以正义为中心的气候教育法方面存在着重大障碍，如教师准备、课程设置不足以及下一代科学标准与以正义为中心的教育法之间的不协调。该项目旨在研究支持教师实施以公正为中心的气候教学的专业发展战略。奥克兰教师促进气候行动计划(OTACA)是一项计划，通过该计划，奥克兰联合学区教师实施以公正为中心、由学生主导的项目，重点关注当地的气候和环境公正现象。除了以正义为中心的气候变化教育学，OTACA的核心理念是，教师是学习者，他们可以在自己的技能中成长，并以与学生大致相同的方式经历认识论和理解的转变。这项研究旨在通过基于设计的研究与OTACA规划委员会合作学习和支持，以解决以下研究主题。首先是调查不同的项目活动(数据收集、讲故事、通过关键镜头接触数据和采取行动)如何影响学生的知识和行动认识论。第二是观察教师对以正义为中心的气候变化教学法的理解和实践的轨迹。这一主题中的问题包括：教师意图和实践之间的差距有多大，是什么导致了这种差距，什么支持可以用来缩小这种差距？这项总体研究工作的第三个主题是：学区内的各种行为者如何努力促进以正义为中心的气候变化学习？该项目响应STEM教育博士后研究奖学金(STEM Ed PRF)计划，该计划旨在提高STEM、STEM教育、教育和相关学科的新近博士的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们从事基础和应用研究，促进该领域知识的进步。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。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).In US classrooms, climate change teaching is primarily focused on scientific, rather than social or political, understandings of the causes and consequences of climate change or environmental justice. However, worldwide, students from Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color bear a disproportionate brunt of environmental burdens and poorer health outcomes resulting from those burdens compared to their peers. Justice-centered climate pedagogy, inspired by Morales-Doyle’s (2017) concept of “justice-centered science pedagogy,” serves as an opportunity for students to become “transformative intellectuals,” learning about both the science and social context surrounding the climate change issues impacting their communities. However, there are significant barriers to implementing justice-centered climate pedagogy in terms of teacher preparedness, lack of curriculum, and misalignment between the Next Generation Science Standards and justice-centered pedagogy. This project is designed to examine professional development strategies for supporting teachers in implementing justice-centered climate pedagogy.The Oakland Teachers Advancing Climate Action (OTACA) Program is a program through which Oakland Unified School District teachers are supported in implementing justice-centered, student-led projects focused on local climate and environmental justice phenomena. Beyond justice-centered climate change pedagogy, OTACA is centered on the idea that teachers are learners that who can grow in their craft and experience shifts in epistemologies and understandings in much the same way that students do. This study is designed to collaboratively learn with and support the OTACA planning committee via design-based research to address the following research themes. First is to investigate how different project activities (data collection, storytelling, engaging data through critical lenses, and taking action) impact students’ epistemologies of knowledge and action. Second is to observe trajectories of teacher understandings and practice relating to justice-centered climate change pedagogy. Questions in this theme include: How wide is the gap between teacher intentions and practice, what contributes to that gap, and what supports can be used to narrow that gap? The third theme of this overall research effort asks: How do various actors within school districts work to promote justice-centered climate change learning? The project responds to the STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) program that aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field.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.