Alcohol Education for Youths- A Laboratory-Based Experience

描述(由申请者提供)：针对高中生的有效的基于研究的酒精和毒品预防教育计划，旨在适应高中科学教育工作者面临的时间和课程限制。这在一定程度上是由于人们认为与预防酒精教育相关的内容与强制性的州和国家科学教育标准之间缺乏一致性。事实上，大多数高中水平的预防教育是在健康课上提供的，而不是在科学课上提供的。为了解决对以科学内容为坚实基础的酒精抵抗教育材料的迫切需求，该项目将用预防研究证明在预防和减少早期饮酒方面有效的后续干预措施来补充动手的实验室科学经验。专家建议，以内容为基础的课程在得到同伴支持小组、抵抗技能培养、规范教育的补充时最有效，并包括社区参与和媒体组成部分。该项目将创建一个符合州和国家科学教育标准的探究式课程补充，并将通过同伴调解的助推计划来加强学生对酒精的生物和认知影响的理解。这些材料将使学生了解酒精对身体和大脑的影响，特别强调酒精如何影响青少年的冒险和决策。此外，该计划还将满足教师对易于实施的需求，并将利用教学指导来促进高效和有效的专业发展。拟议的课程补充材料将采用基于探究的实验室方法，探讨酒精脱氢酶在酒精代谢中的作用以及过量酒精对这一代谢过程的后果。将探索大脑结构和功能的基础知识，使学生能够理解酒精如何损害决策并导致危险行为。课程将包含一个渐进的角色扮演，将单元联系在一起，为学生提供机会，利用他们不断发展的关于酒精对身体和大脑影响的循证知识来做出明智的决定。一个在线部分将包括一个网站和与学生和校内学生支持团体领导人的后续电子邮件通信，以向该计划的参与者提供支持材料和信息。材料将包括针对高危行为的匿名在线筛选、规范信息，以及对学生参与同伴目标社区服务项目的建议。 公共卫生相关性：该项目将汇集一个由高中教师和学生、科学家和教育工作者组成的团队，开发一种基于探究的实验室科学课程补充，将酒精预防研究的最佳实践与合理的科学内容和教学方法相结合。课程附录将探索酒精的生物学，作为教授学生基本生物学内容以及鼓励负责任的决策的一种手段。这一课堂资源将由网络支持的同行中介助推计划来补充，以使学生更深入地了解酒精的生物效应。这些材料将为学生提供在同龄人面前在决策环境中使用他们新学到的知识的机会，从而促进酒精抵抗和改善公共健康。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are few effective research-based alcohol and drug prevention education programs targeted to high school students that are designed to fit into the time and curricular constraints high school science educators face. This is due, in part, to a perceived lack of alignment between the content associated with alcohol prevention education and the mandated state and national science education standards. In fact, most prevention education at the high school level is provided in health classes rather than in science classes. To address the urgent need for alcohol resistance education materials that are firmly grounded in science content, this project will complement hands-on laboratory science experiences with follow-up interventions that prevention research has shown to be effective in preventing and reducing early drinking. Experts suggest that content-based curricula are most effective when complemented by peer support groups, resistance skill building, normative education, and include community involvement and media components. This project will create an inquiry-based curriculum supplement consistent with state and national science education standards that will be augmented by a peer-mediated booster program to enhance students' understanding of the biological and cognitive effects of alcohol. The materials will enable students to understand the effects of alcohol on the body and brain, with a particular emphasis on how alcohol influences adolescent risk-taking and decision-making. Further, this program will also meet teachers' need for easy implementation and will utilize instructional mentorship to promote efficient and effective professional development. The proposed curriculum supplement will employ an inquiry-based laboratory approach to explore the role of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in the metabolism of alcohol as well as the consequences of excess alcohol on this metabolic process. The basics of brain structure and function will be explored to enable students to understand how alcohol impairs decision-making and leads to risky behavior. The lessons will incorporate a progressive role-play that ties the unit together, providing students with opportunities to use their developing evidence-based knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the body and brain to make informed decisions. An online component will include a website and follow-up email communication with students and leaders of in-school student support groups to provide booster materials and information to participants in the program. Materials will include anonymous online screenings for at-risk behavior, normative information, and suggestions for students to become involved in peer-targeted community service projects. Public Health Relevance: This project will bring together a team of high school teachers and students, scientists, and educators to develop an inquiry-based laboratory science curriculum supplement that integrates best practices from alcohol prevention research with sound science content and pedagogy. The curriculum supplement will explore the biology of alcohol as a means of teaching students both essential biology content as well as encouraging responsible decision-making. This in-class resource will be complemented by a web-supported peer-mediated booster program to provide students with a deeper understanding of the biological effects of alcohol. These materials will provide students with opportunities to use their newly acquired knowledge in decision-making contexts in the presence of their peers, thereby promoting alcohol resistance and improved public health.