Abstract
Participation in authentic scientific research has been shown to greatly benefit undergraduate students, both in terms of perception of science and knowledge of scientific concepts. We define authentic scientific research as projects in which results are unknown prior to performing experiments and are appropriate for presentation in peer-reviewed scientific journals and/or scientific conferences. Kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) students have less frequent opportunities to participate in authentic research than university students, and the effects of research participation on such students are less well understood. From 2013 to the present, we organized two collaborations with different groups of K–12 students and teachers, each aimed at engaging K–12 students in authentic geoscience research, with a focus on K–12 students from excluded backgrounds who may have had restricted access to resources. First, the Malcolm X Shabazz Aquatic Geochemistry Team was an initiative to involve high school students at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, New Jersey, USA, in research focused on the activities of microbial communities inhabiting streams and rivers in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Second, the Integrating Continuous Experiential Activities for Geoscience Education (ICE-AGE) project is a Pathways into the Earth, Ocean, Polar and Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences (GEOPAths) project funded by the National Science Foundation that involves K–12 students in experiential learning through diverse means, including involving middle school students taking part in a summer program pseudonymously referred to as the Liberation Literacy Program (LLP) in geoscience research on a number of topics. Here, we report qualitative observations of the successes and challenges of these programs, as well as lessons learned, which may be useful for other researchers seeking to involve groups of K–12 students in authentic geoscience research education.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Special Paper of the Geological Society of America |
| Publisher | Geological Society of America |
| Pages | 9-18 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2025 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Publication series
| Name | Special Paper of the Geological Society of America |
|---|---|
| Volume | 564 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0072-1077 |
| ISSN (Electronic) | 2331-219X |
Funding
other University of Tennessee faculty and/or students traveled to the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC), in Ding-mans Ferry, Pennsylvania, a residential environmental education facility, for an ~3–4 day stay (Rosalsky, 2013). Students spent about half of their time at PEEC working with Dr. Steen to collect water samples, assay extracellular enzyme activities, analyze data, and discuss the practicalities of a scientific career. During the other half of the time, they participated in environmental education and team-building activities coordinated by PEEC, which regularly hosts school groups. These trips were initially funded by MXSHS, and later by grants from the Foundation for Newark’s Future, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and small-scale fundraising. The authors are grateful to all other teachers, administrators, and educators at Malcom X Shabazz High School (MXSHS), Liberation Literacy Program, and the Pocono Environmental Education Center. The MXSHS Aquatic Geochemistry Team was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) grants OCE-1357242 to Steen and OCE-1431598 to Steen and Lloyd. The ICE-AGE project was funded by NSF grant IUSE-1911565 to Steen, Drumheller, Coleman-King, and Rearden, and it is further supported by NSF grant OCE-2145434 to Steen and Rearden. We thank one anonymous reviewer and Dr. Sarah Sheffield for thorough, constructive reviews.