Braid local community goals, needs, and expertise into school-based citizen science as a third constituency¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 qualitative), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The commentary argues that richer learning opportunities lie in three-way engagement amongst scientists, schools, and local communities, beyond the two-way engagement between scientists and schools that dominates the research. Local communities, whose needs and interests could provide students with culturally-relevant, compelling scientific questions, are a largely unacknowledged third constituency. The commentary recommends integrating and adapting approaches and strategies from community-based participatory research, including structure, roles and responsibilities, and ethical knowledge exchange practices.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Designs must move away from school-centered approaches toward socioculturally-oriented designs positioning schools within a broader learning ecology

Constraints¶

• The commentary notes schools are often separate figured worlds from the communities in which they are embedded

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in community-engaged school-based citizen science

Target Learning Goals¶

• culturally-relevant scientific inquiry
• connecting school learning to community problem-solving

Claims¶

• Thematic analysis of student survey responses identified four types of local knowledge students contributed: physical facilities, experiences or feelings, location-specific experiences, and social aspects [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Bridge scientist-educator divides by clarifying visions of participation and identifying scalable practices
• Apply Youth Participatory Action Research principles to school-based citizen science design to support student agency

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ballard, H. L. (2023). Community and citizen science in schools: nested inquiries, productive tensions, and the role of communities. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-023-09643-7