Adult Education at Biological Field Stations: Building Capacity for Science Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 074171362110447
Author(s):  
Jill Zarestky ◽  
Lauren Vilen ◽  
Rachel A. Short ◽  
Rhonda Struminger ◽  
A. Michelle Lawing
Keyword(s):  
Science Learning ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Science Educators ◽  
Biological Field ◽  
Field Stations

An understanding of science concepts is important for living in modern society. Supporting adults’ science learning can be particularly challenging because most adults no longer attend formal educational institutions where access and opportunities are facilitated by teachers and school-sponsored programs. Biological field stations (BFSs) are a newly recognized educational venue that hold considerable intrinsic value for adult science education. In this study, we conducted a survey of 223 U.S. BFSs about their nonformal and informal educational outreach programs for adults. Results show BFSs offer a wide variety of science learning programs for adults, focused heavily on experiential learning to engage learners. These experiences promote interactions with the natural environment and are perceived to increase participants’ knowledge and skills. This study has implications for how adult educators can better support the professional development of science educators at BFSs and enrich the general public's science learning.

scholarly journals Teaching Magnetoelectric Sensing to Secondary School Students—Considerations for Educational STEM Outreach

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7354
Author(s):  
Cara Broß ◽  
Carolin Enzingmüller ◽  
Ilka Parchmann ◽  
Gerhard Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
School Students ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Scientists And Engineers ◽  
And Mathematics

A major challenge in modern society is the need to increase awareness and excitement with regard to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and related careers directly or among peers and parents in order to attract future generations of scientists and engineers. The numbers of students aiming for an engineering degree are low compared to the options available and the workforce needed. This may, in part, be due to a traditional lack of instruction in this area in secondary school curricula. In this regard, STEM outreach programs can complement formal learning settings and help to promote engineering as well as science to school students. In a long-term outreach collaboration with scientists and engineers, we developed an outreach program in the field of magnetoelectric sensing that includes an out-of-school project day and various accompanying teaching materials. In this article, we motivate the relevance of the topic for educational outreach, share the rationales, objectives and aims, models and implementation strategies of our program and provide practical advice for those interested in outreach in the field of magnetoelectric sensing.

scholarly journals Biological Field Stations of the World

Nature ◽  
1946 ◽  
Vol 157 (3993) ◽  
pp. 606-606
Author(s):  
E. ASHBY
Keyword(s):  
The World ◽  
Biological Field ◽  
Field Stations

Using Fan Fiction to Bridge Students' Understanding of Science

2022 ◽  
pp. 335-354
Author(s):  
LaShay Jennings ◽  
Renee M. Moran ◽  
Blake Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Science Learning ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Fan Fiction ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Pedagogy And Curriculum ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Educational Field ◽  
Grade Classroom

The purpose of this chapter was to present current literature focused on integrating science and literacy and describe the teaching of a science unit of study that incorporated fanfiction literature in a fourth-grade classroom. Ms. Bardon's instructional techniques were focused on integrating science learning with reading and writing based within a fictional text read together as a classroom community throughout the unit of science study. The unit of study was presented alongside background literature to illustrate how such teaching is indicative of a larger movement in the educational field toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based pedagogy and curriculum. The account of teaching was presented according to the close reading of the fictional text, the hands-on science activities, and the culminating student writing of a fanfiction narrative that constituted the assessment of science learning.

scholarly journals Near-Peer Teaching Outreach Programs to Increase Minority Physician Recruitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. e122-e126
Author(s):  
Wendy Linderman ◽  
Nicholas Apostolopoulos ◽  
Anand Gopal ◽  
John Encandela ◽  
Christopher Teng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Minority Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Peer Teaching ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
School Students ◽  
Outreach Programs ◽  
Peer Teachers

Problem Health disparities among racial and ethnic groups exist in the United States despite improvements in health status and access to care. These inequalities may be reduced by increasing minority physician recruitment; however, how best to recruit these physicians remains unclear. Approach Near-peer teachers are not professionally trained, but have recently learned material that they themselves teach. Near-peer teaching in minority student outreach programs may be effective in increasing minority physician recruitment. The authors used a near-peer teaching model to promote interest in medicine, specifically ophthalmology, as a potential career path for both volunteer near-peer teachers and minority high school students participating in an educational outreach program. Twenty-one college and graduate-school near-peer teachers of various racial and ethnic backgrounds participated to teach 31 inner-city high school students. The program was evaluated using pre- and posttest surveys assessing students' knowledge about and interest in science, medicine, and ophthalmology; analysis used pairwise t-test comparisons. Qualitative responses and an end-of-training survey also assessed students' and near-peer teachers' satisfaction with the program and perceptions about medicine as a career. Outcomes Students' knowledge about and interest in medicine and ophthalmology increased significantly after participation. Near-peer teachers agreed that teaching in the program was beneficial to their careers and made it more likely that they would enter medicine and ophthalmology. Next Steps The authors will track the near-peer teachers' career paths and, in the next iteration, will increase the number of program days. This intervention may serve as a model for outreach for other specialties beyond ophthalmology.

scholarly journals Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists

PLoS Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. e1002368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Clark ◽  
Josh Russell ◽  
Peter Enyeart ◽  
Brant Gracia ◽  
Aimee Wessel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Outreach Programs

scholarly journals Follow the leader: Child-led inquiries to develop science learning of young children

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Science Learning ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Natural Connection ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Age Range

Science education in the early years has been found to be lacking when compared to other content areas, specifically numeracy and literacy. It has been suggested that this lack of opportunity for young children to learn science is due to educator’s lack of confidence to teach science, fuelled by concerns regarding a reduced understanding of science concepts.  For young children, however, science is everywhere and is embedded in all aspects of their lives as they explore and interact to make sense of the world around them. Given this natural connection to science, it is important for educators to notice and respond to children’s interest to encourage science learning to occur. This paper reports on an exploratory research study in which children took the leading role in inquiry-based interactions during off-site school days that took place within a metropolitan city zoo. Through the collection of observations and interactions with the research, several inquiries were documented. The children challenged the educators within the program to follow up on questions posed by them and engage the children across a broad age range in an inquiry to answer these questions.

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