Heartland Partnerships: Inquiry-Based Ecological and Environmental Education at SIUC

Southern Illinois University At Carbondale, Carbondale IL

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL #: 0638722 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Karen Renzaglia INSTITUTION: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale TITLE: Heartland Partnerships: Inquiry-Based Ecological and Environmental Science Education at SIUC The Heartland Partnerships: Inquiry-Based Ecological and Environmental Science Education at SIUC, a new GK-12 project between Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and three K-12 rural school districts within Illinois, has four program goals: 1) use content knowledge and skills of fellows and faculty to increase scientific literacy among high school students, 2) improve teachers' science content and pedagogical knowledge, 3) provide experiences for teachers in conducting both scientific and action research, 4) enhance long-term partnerships between the university and local schools. Fellows and faculty will engage teachers and students in exploration of the various ecological habitats. The intellectual merit of this project includes summer workshops for graduates and teachers and also the creation of original research projects that will be conducted at SIUC Touch of Nature Environmental (TONEC) field sites. These projects will be a result of an analysis of the curriculum and therefore, teams of graduate students and teachers will plan exercises, develop action plans and integrate and refine inquiry-based teaching in the classroom. The broader impacts of this project include the recruitment of underrepresented minority graduate students to serve as role models, and resources for content knowledge and science process skills for the K-12 students. The graduate fellows will gain an appreciation for science education, stronger ties to the K-12 community, and development of mentoring, communication and teaching skills. Outcomes for the teachers include increased content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, familiarity with scientific issues, increased understanding of scientific research techniques, enhanced reflective practice through Action research and stronger ties to the university community. University faculty will gain an appreciation of science education, increased understanding of the problems inherent in high school science education, stronger ties to the local science education community, and increased levels of interdisciplinary cooperation within the university. The project will also reach out to non-participating teachers and students in the state through summer professional development workshops, open access to lesson, units and chats via the Internet, and the distribution of a science activities manual.