Student Investigator
Crista L. Straub,
Graduate Assistant
Ecology & Environmental Science,
UMaine
Project Synopsis
The current project will broaden citizen science research by investigating environmental education outcomes after implementing a groundwater quality curriculum, Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing (GET WET!) in two different settings. The two settings include a formal (K-12 classroom) and an informal (4-H) environment in four different watersheds located across New England. The data will be collected through qualitative interviews and quantitative social science survey methodology. The current project will explore the differences between the formal and informal setting, and determine what factors influence the differences observed in outcomes (if any) of GET WET!. Some factors that have not been fully researched, but may be integral to the differences observed in the two settings are: life skills, classroom climate, interest, motivation, and science learner identity. Additionally, this investigation will address intergenerational knowledge transfer; the study of how parents and children influence each others’ environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Intergenerational knowledge transfer has the potential to not only influence the youth participants, but also their parents, household and community. However, there is little research that has fully delved into that potential. Therefore, this project will determine how intergenerational learning occurs between the students that participate in GET WET! and the parents of those students. The research will then further expand our understanding of intergenerational learning by creating a predictive model of parental behavior. This includes examining action competence and behavior change of the parents, as well as whether behavioral intention of the parents matches actual behavior. This will provide the information needed for researchers to utilize intergenerational knowledge transfer for environmental action, and allow students to act as catalysts for parents and communities. The predictive model of parental behavior will increase understanding of action competence, focus future programs on fostering intergenerational learning, and help remediate environmental problems of today and tomorrow.
Introduction
Citizen science is an integral component of water monitoring efforts and contributes to the overall goal of increasing citizen involvement in solving water quality problems (NCSU Water Quality Group 2008). Both the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) support citizens in becoming knowledgeable of and active in their water resources (USEPA 2007, UNEP 2009). This study will implement a groundwater quality curriculum, GET WET!, that utilizes students as citizen sciences and research three environmental education research questions.
GET WET! works with local students and the community to create a long-term groundwater quality database. This program travels to schools and 4-H groups where students have collected their well water. Students are taught to analyze the samples as a class project. Analysis is done with portable water chemistry test kits that include assays for: nitrates, hardness, chloride, pH, conductivity, and iron. Students complete the GET WET! program with a public presentation of their findings.
Objectives
- Compare differences in outcomes of GET WET! between formal (K-12 classroom) and informal (4-H) science education settings with life skills, classroom climate, interest, motivation, and science learner identity as potential factors influencing differences.
- Explore intergenerational knowledge transfer about water resources between students after participating in GET WET! and their parents.
- Predict household environmental behavior change after students participate in GET WET!
Methods
A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will be used for this study including, written surveys with students (2-4 wks pre- & post-) and parents (2-4 months pre- & post-). Interviews will be done with subsamples. Quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative open coding will be used for analyses.
Impact of Project
Historically, citizen science research (participation of non-scientists in scientific research) has focused on ecological research projects that have delved into certain parameters such as science process and biological knowledge learned. The current project will broaden previous investigations through assessment of environmental education outcomes of citizen science. This includes implementing GET WET! into formal (K-12 classroom) and informal (4-H) settings and providing much needed information on how life skills, classroom climate, interest, motivation, and science learner identity may influence differing outcomes between the two settings. This information will increase understanding of the relationship between these two environments. Educators will integrate positive factors into educational programs. It is also essential to investigate whether or not GET WET! not only influences the participants, but also the household, called intergenerational learning. It is not clear which factors are responsible for the impact of the interaction between students and parents. This information will allow researchers to apply what was learned in the current study to “target” future student-parent interactions. Researching intergenerational learning will also provide information on predicting environmental behavior change. There are few studies that investigate how student’s environmental education programs influence the action of the parents (i.e., action competence, behavior change), and whether or not behavioral intentions of the parents match the actual behavior (i.e., follow-up posttest). This information would allow researchers to utilize intergenerational knowledge transfer for environmental action. Thus, using students to act as catalysts for parental and community change. Finally, the predictive model of parental behavior, created during this project, will increase understanding of action competence, focus future programs on fostering intergenerational learning, and help remediate present and future environmental problems. The types of stakeholders who would be interested in the results of this research are: K-12 teachers, 4-H program leaders, science education researchers, policymakers, and government agencies.
Expected Deliverables
- prepare a technical report that summarizes the results of this research,
- share updates on the GET WET! website and share recommendations through the GET WET! list-serv, and
- deliver a poster or oral presentation at the Maine Water Conference and the Northeast Private Well Water Symposium.
Although it will be outside of the grant period, the data collected through this grant will be used in a dissertation and eventually submitted as manuscripts to peer-reviewed journal articles.
Investigators Qualifications
I am an EES doctoral student. One of my strongest contributions to the project is my interdisciplinary background. I have had a wide range of educational experiences that will only enhance my quality of work, and also increases the amount of information that I provide to my research. This includes vast lab experience in my undergraduate career and while pursuing my master’s degree in environmental toxicology. My analytical laboratory experience will contribute to the groundwater quality component of this project. Furthermore, I have a background in education, which includes serving as an interpretative instructor and counselor (Saint Louis Zoo, MO), substitute teaching (Illinois public schools), and teaching assistantships (Southern Illinois University, UMaine). At UMaine, my teaching assistantship duties included a lab coordinator position for an upper level cell biology lab in addition to teaching the lab. I have also served as the graduate coordinator for the Support for Sciences Program (UMaine). Recently (2008), I designed and implemented an evaluation of Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory’s outreach program. These positions will not only help in implementing GET WET!, but also during evaluation of the educational outcomes of the program. I have strong leadership qualities and hands-on experience with leadership as a biologist for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and more recently as a biologist (crew leader) for Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. Attending and presenting at a variety of meetings has helped hone my communication skills not only the scientific community, but also to the general public. All of these successful experiences have matriculated from specific personal qualities that I possess such as hard-working, logical, focused, motivated, and a problem-solver. Therefore, my interdisciplinary background and personal qualities help me stay focused and explore any research project from multiple angles. This allows for a detailed yet versatile final project.
