“The era of outreach being optional for scientists is now over,” blogs Jai Ranganathan on the Scientific American website as funding agencies like NSF require outreach in competitive grant proposals. One of the best ways for scientists to reach out to the community is by connecting with local K-12 schools, giving researchers an opportunity to share their passion for science with an impressionable audience of students, engaging a new generation in scientific literacy and critical thinking.
A new study led by former Lewison Lab masters student Dr. Lisa Komoroske and her colleagues from UC Davis participated in an NSF-funded education program CAMEOS at the Bodega Marine Lab and share their insights on how scientists can involve themselves with teaching opportunities and how to maximize their efforts in the classroom.
The article explores the obstacles that impede scientists’ involvement in K-12 education: finding time to step away from research, lack of experience in collaborating with grade school educators, and an undervaluation of outreach in academic culture. The NSF has been promoting a cultural shift by requiring broader impacts in grant funding and offering training and incentives to potential teachers. Scientists can also use their experience in the classroom to write publishable papers about education. Despite the challenges, scientist participation in K-12 education can make a research career more fulfilling while promoting critical thinking in the next generation of scientists.
A new study led by former Lewison Lab masters student Dr. Lisa Komoroske and her colleagues from UC Davis participated in an NSF-funded education program CAMEOS at the Bodega Marine Lab and share their insights on how scientists can involve themselves with teaching opportunities and how to maximize their efforts in the classroom.
The article explores the obstacles that impede scientists’ involvement in K-12 education: finding time to step away from research, lack of experience in collaborating with grade school educators, and an undervaluation of outreach in academic culture. The NSF has been promoting a cultural shift by requiring broader impacts in grant funding and offering training and incentives to potential teachers. Scientists can also use their experience in the classroom to write publishable papers about education. Despite the challenges, scientist participation in K-12 education can make a research career more fulfilling while promoting critical thinking in the next generation of scientists.
This figure taken from Komoroske et al. 2015 shows that the type of IBL projects that can be successfully undertaken in the classroom depend on the availability of the scientist and the skill level of the students. If the scientist has limited time and/or the students are at an introductory level, Guided Inquiry is best. If the scientist has more time to commit and the students are advanced, an Open Inquiry approach is feasible.
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