Progress 12/01/20 to 11/30/21
Outputs
Target Audience:No additional programming for K-12 teachers was provided in the reporting period. Project efforts focus on dissemination of program evaluation and project research. We had one empirical study from project work accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal this year. Changes/Problems:COVID has significantly impaired our ability to work directly with any K-12 teachers in the past year. We were able to involve 2 teachers, both former project participants, in collaboration on developing project products in summer, 2021. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?See publicatiaons What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have continued to analyze project evaluation data, primarily through the efforts of UNL graduate students (not funded on this project). We have 1 manuscript accepted for publication and 2 more still 'in preparation'.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
White, H., Lally, D., & Forbes, C.T. (in press). Investigating groundwater: Middle school students mapping data-driven, computer-based models to socio-hydrologic phenomena. Journal of Geoscience Education.
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Progress 12/01/16 to 11/03/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Fifty-two (52) classroom teachers from 21 school districts participated in NE WELS2 project. Of those, 35 (67%) were female and 17 (33%) were male. The majority (94%; N=49) identified as White, non-Hispanic. Fourteen teachers (28%) reported an undergraduate degree as their highest degree and thirty-six reported a master-level degree (72%). Teachers reported an average of 12.3 years of teaching and an average of 8.2 years in their current position. Teachers reported working with more than 7,000 students per year (M= 140.7). The project also involved contributions from UNL faculty and graduate students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The WELS2 professional development program was ongoing throughout the project period. Overall, it was implemented as planned and described in the original project proposal. Face-to-face workshops were held in the summers of 2017 and 2018 on the UNL campus. The NRES 814 course was offered online in the spring, 2018 semester. Dates of workshops were: June 12-16, 2017 Spring, 2018 semester (NRES 814) June 11-15, 2018 Kathleen Fimple conducted a site visit during the June, 2017 workshop. Teachers also completed independent work outside of formal workshops in both summers. Communication about these workshops can be found at the links below: http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/program-will-help-states-science-teachers-with-water-system-literacy/ http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/blog/2017/02/21/teacher-professional-development-program-earns-grant-support/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7SNO91vf9I http://groundwaterfoundation.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-developing-science-literacy.html In the summer of 2017, teachers were presented with the option of enrolling in 3 hours of UNL graduate course credit for their completion of the WELS2 professional development workshops. The course, NRES 898 - Teaching and Learning about Water Systems, was offered as part of the 2017 Nebraska Math & Science Summer Institutes though the UNL Center for Science, Mathematics, & Computer Education. In spring, 2018, teachers were presented with the opportunity to enroll in NRES 814 - NRES 814 - Earth's Natural Resource Systems, an online course regularly offered as part of UNL's Masters of Applied Science, Science for Educators degree. In summer, 2018, teachers were presented with the opportunity to enroll in SCIL 800 - Experiential Learning in Food, Energy, and Water Systems II, offered as part of the 2018 Nebraska Math & Science Summer Institutes though the UNL Center for Science, Mathematics, & Computer Education. The project team also used previously-developed online modules designed to support teachers' learning about water-related concepts reflected in state and national science standards. Teachers completed these modules independently. Each set of modules was designed to require approximately four hours of time to complete. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Please see list of publications and presentations What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Pre/Post Surveys Feedback from program participants was positive. Although there were missing data pre-test and post-test scores from several participants, there was positive growth in teacher' content knowledge from the twelve participants with complete data. Average pre-test scores from those with complete data were 31.8 and post-test scores were 31.6. While the small number of participants with complete data does not allow for statistical significance testing, information from those with complete data are trending in a positive direction. qualitative responses Two main themes emerged when participants were asked what they hope to learn from their PD experience--enhancing curriculum and professional development. Table 3 contains a sample of participant reflections based on thematic area. Table 3. What do you hope to learn from this PD experience? Enhancing Curriculum "It sounded like a great opportunity to learn more about water in a multitude of ways (climate, natural resource, energy, environment, etc), to learn about new or underutilized resources that I can then share with my students and activities/labs that I can easily implement into any learning environment with little prep." "I look forward to learning curriculum which I hope will enhance my AP Environmental Science curriculum." "I hope to learn new ways to integrate hands on learning in the classroom using material that relates our curriculum to real world examples." "I am hoping to develop curriculum for a new course-Environmental Science." "I'd like to expand my current water quality unit as well as learn some new things." "I'm participating in this particular Workshop to start developing some Hands-On curricula for my middle school students in the three dimensions are now part of the current Nebraska state standards." Professional Development "Since my background is more in the physical sciences, I'm looking for the earth science side of water knowledge at a deeper level. I teach more effectively when I know my material at a deeper level than what I am teaching so I can share those experiences." "I hope to learn how to teach students about water resources in a more engaging manner." "I chose to participate in this WELS2 workshop to learn new strategies to teach about water." "I am going to start teach Earth Science next year and I saw it as a great opportunity to learn about something I didn't know much about." "I hope to learn more about datasets and resources to use in my environmental chemistry course." "To improve my own content knowledge and to gain resources I can use in the classroom." "I also want to continue to improve my teaching and student learning to move into can learn." Workshop Survey data A total of sixty-six participants (66) completed the workshop evaluations for 2017 and 2018. Of these participants, twenty-nine (29) completed the 2017 survey and thirty-seven (37) completed the 2018 survey. Participants provided responses on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from, "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Table 4 below contains average ratings by evaluation item across the two years and a combined average of the two years. Table 4. Average workshop evaluation scores by year Item 2017 2018 2017 & 2018 I developed new knowledge about water concepts 6.28 6.41 6.35 I developed new knowledge about scientific modeling 6.17 5.92 6.03 I developed new knowledge about socio-scientific issues-based teaching and learning 6.24 5.70 5.94 I am better able to use instructional resources to support students' learning about water 6.34 6.16 6.24 I am better able to use scientific modeling to support students' learning about water 6.14 5.97 6.05 I am better able to use socio-scientific issues-based approaches to supporting students' learning about water 6.03 5.68 5.83 The length of the workshop was effective 6.31 6.27 6.29 The structure of the workshop was effective 6.07 6.16 6.12 The instructors for the workshop were effective 6.34 6.38 6.36 My goals for this workshop were met 6.03 6.19 6.12 Workshop qualitative responses Three main themes emerged when participants were asked what aspect they found most effective from the workshop--resources, hands-on activities, and the course format. Table 5 contains a sample of participant reflections based on thematic area. Table 5. Which aspects of the workshop did you find most effective? Resources "Great use of time, highly applicable, fabulous resources, great teachers" "I appreciated the resources that were given and modeled along with the support from the Groundwater Foundation. I definitely have some things that I could implement tomorrow in the classroom." "The resources provided for the class and modeling of the HGC were effective and I feel I now have a resource and material to teach in more depth about groundwater." "Information was helpful and will be useful in the school year. I also really love the Awesome Aquifer kit and WILL use it this upcoming year." "Awesome aquifers kit time - MORE OF THIS!" "I love all the resources and the experts that were brought in." "Exposure to actual data sets and maps that we can use in class." "Introduction to many online resources and connecting with scientists." Hands-on Activities "Hands-on experience with lab activities." "Enjoyed and learned a lot from the hands on activities." "I like the hands-on activities and the awesome aquifer activities. These will be easy to implement into my curriculum." "The hands-on activities were awesome." "The hands on training with the modules provided by each scientist help with my understanding of the module and my ability to integrate this material into my classroom." "The hands on and working with the data sets were challenging but very effective." "The hands on activities and the networking." Course Format "The inclusion of researchers in the PD was a great way to actualize real-world issues and how to incorporate these into the classroom." "The time to discuss with other teachers, The hands on activities, hearing about real life research projects and being able to use the data or collect similar data with students, tie ins to real Nebraska issues." "Great format, great variety, great balance of online and in-person interactive instruction." "I enjoyed the fact that we were always moving and changing gears." "Direct instructions combined with online segments was a good balance." Workshop participants were also asked what aspects they thought could be improved with the workshop. For this question, There was a distinct difference in responses across years. Responses from the 2017 cohort were more critical in terms of time was allocated during the workshop. Although responses were less cohesive, a main theme that emerged from the 2017 cohort was the need for more practice and/or time spent "doing." In contrast, the responses from the 2018 cohort were very positive and most individuals noted nothing needed to be added to the workshop. Of the 2018 cohort that provided comments, the common theme was the need for more time. More time for participants did not necessarily mean a longer workshop session because individuals noted they wanted time to "process information" as well as have a few more days to turn in assignments or time set aside to interact with fellow colleagues.
Publications
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Progress 12/01/19 to 11/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:No additional programming for K-12 teachers was provided in the reporting period, in large part due to the disruption brought about by COVID. Project efforts focus on dissemination of program evaluation and project research. Results have been disseminated at one national invited conference and accepted for presentation in spring, 2021, at a second. The audience for these dissemination efforts are discipline-based education researchers focused on science, specifically Earth systems, education, for which water is a primary interest. Changes/Problems:COVID has significantly impaired our ability to work directly with any K-12 teachers in the past year. They are maxed out and have been unwilling and/or unable to commit any extra time to project activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?see list of publications and presentations What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Disruptions brought about by COVID have impaired our plans to involve K-12 teachers in project work this year. Also, the Groundwater Foundation (our non-profit partner) was absorbed into another national organization and foundation staff members have left their positions. However, we continue to analyze project evaluation data, primarily through the efforts of 2 UNL graduate students (not funded on this project). We have 3 working manuscripts in various stages of completion and have continued presenting iterim versions of these studies at conferences. These efforts will continue with the objective to bring all 3 manuscripts to publication in peer-reviewed journals as soon as possible. The most advanced of the three has been accepted with revisions and was resubmitted in January. A second is planned for submission in spring, 2021.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Dissemination products currently 'in progress' present research documenting impacts related to all 3 objectives
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
White, H., Lally, D., Forbes, C.T. (under review). 7th-grade students understanding of a groundwater modeling tool. In Journal of Geoscience Education.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mostacedo Marasovic, J., Mott, B., & Forbes, C.T. (in preparation). Standards for teaching and learning about water: A view across disciplines.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Mostacedo Marasovic, J., White, H., & Forbes, C.T. (in preparation). K-12 Teacher Professional Development to enhance water education: A view across projects.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Forbes, C.T. (invited, 2020, July). Standards for teaching and learning about water: A view across disciplines. Invited presentation at the 2020 Earth Educators Rendezvous (EER) session The Water-Literate Citizen: Help Develop a New Framework Document for Water Literacy. (Virtual presentation due to COVID-19)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
White, H., Lally, D., & Forbes, C.T. (2020, March). Investigating groundwater: 7th-grade students' mapping models to phenomena. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Portland, OR. (COVID-19 related cancellation of conference)
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Progress 12/01/18 to 11/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:No additional programming for K-12 teachers was provided in the reporting period, consistent with the original proposal. Project efforts focus on dissemination of program evaluation and project research. Results have been disseminated at one national invited conference and accepted for presentation in spring, 2020, at a second. The audience for these dissemination efforts are discipline-based education researchers focused on science, specifically Earth systems, education, for which water is a primary interest. Changes/Problems:We received a 1-year no-cost extension on the project What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?see products What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Project activities thus far have focused heavily on program development and implementation.We have partially analyzed project evaluation data and need to complete remaining data analysis to contribute to project evaluation, particularly for project objective #3.This will be conducted through work of a new graduate student (not funded on project funds) in collaboration with the Groundwater Foundation (our external, non-profit project partner).To contribute to dissemination, we would also like to support a small number of teachers who participated in the program to contribute to development of a practitioner paper for STEM teachers that showcases innovative resources and strategies from the project for teaching and learning about water systems. We anticipate submitting 2 (and hopefully 3) papers to journals by the revised project end date.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Dissemination products currently 'in progress' present research documenting impacts related to all 3 objectives
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
White, H., Lally, D., Forbes, C.T. (2019, September). 7th-grade students understanding of a groundwater modeling tool. Paper presented at the 2019 Geological Society of America (GSA) annual meeting, Phoenix, AZ.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
White, H., Lally, D., Forbes, C.T. (2020, March). 7th-grade students understanding of a groundwater modeling tool. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Portland, OR.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Forbes, C.T., Vo, T., Griffin, J. (in preparation). Enhancing Teaching and Learning about Water: Sustained Professional Development for K-12 Science Teachers
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Progress 12/01/17 to 11/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Fifty-two (52) classroom teachers from 21 school districts participated in NE WELS2 project. Of those, 35 (67%) were female and 17 (33%) were male. The majority (94%; N=49) identified as White, non-Hispanic. Fourteen teachers (28%) reported an undergraduate degree as their highest degree and thirty-six reported a master-level degree (72%). Teachers reported an average of 12.3 years of teaching and an average of 8.2 years in their current position. Teachers reported working with more than 7,000 students per year (M= 140.7). See Appendix A for a list of participants. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In spring, 2018, teachers were presented with the opportunity to enroll in NRES 814 - NRES 814 - Earth's Natural Resource Systems, an online course regularly offered as part of UNL's Masters of Applied Science, Science for Educators degree. In summer, 2018, teachers were presented with the opportunity to enroll in SCIL 800 - Experiential Learning in Food, Energy, and Water Systems II, offered for the first time as part of the 2018 Nebraska Math & Science Summer Institutes though the UNL Center for Science, Mathematics, & Computer Education. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Forbes, C.T., Chandler, M.C., Bhattacharya, D., Vo, T., & Griffin, J. (forthcoming). Secondary students' model-based reasoning about Earth systems: Practice, epistemology, and conceptual understanding. London: International Society of the Learning Sciences. Vo, T. &Forbes, C. T. (2018, January). Supporting K-12 teachers' instruction about water using scientific modeling: Lookingacross multiple projects. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), Baltimore, MD. Forbes, C.T. (invited, 2017, November). Scientific modeling for K-16 Earth systems education: Theoretical perspectives and empirical insights. Invited presentation at the Center for Science and Technology in Education (CSTE), University of Maryland, College Park, MD. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Analyze the remainder of project data
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Feedback from program participants was positive. Although there were missing data pre-test and post-test scores from several participants, there was positive growth in teacher' content knowledge from the twelve participants with complete data. Average pre-test scores from those with complete data were 31.8 and post-test scores were 31.6. While the small number of participants with complete data does not allow for statistical significance testing, information from those with complete data are trending in a positive direction. Survey data Teachers were also give a short survey about their instructional approaches (see Table 1). Scores were rated on a scale from 0 to 5. As shown in the table, the lowest averages were found on the item related to presenting material through teacher led lecture. Highest scores were found on the item measuring teacher's self-reported enthusiasm for their subject area. Table 1. Item Average Understanding the content I teach 4.32 effectiveness as a teacher 4.02 Enthusiasm about teaching my subject area 4.62 Students work in groups 3.84 Students learn concepts through hands on approaches 3.82 Material is presented through teacher led lecture 3.20 I use conventional assessment methods 3.50 Instructional tech is used in the classroom 3.90 Data were also collected evaluating teacher's perceptions of the degree to which their school/district prioritize professional growth. As shown in the table, the majority of participants felt their school/district were very supportive of professional growth opportunities. Seventy percent (70%) of the teachers in our sample indicated their school/district prioritize professional development "a great deal" or "a lot." Table 2. Do you think your school/district prioritizes professional growth? Frequency Percentage A little 4 8 A moderate amount 11 22 A great deal 16 32 A lot 19 38 Workshop Survey data A total of sixty-six participants (66) completed the workshop evaluations for 2017 and 2018. Of these participants, twenty-nine (29) completed the 2017 survey and thirty-seven (37) completed the 2018 survey. Participants provided responses on a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from, "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Table 4 below contains average ratings by evaluation item across the two years and a combined average of the two years. Table 4. Average workshop evaluation scores by year Item 2017 2018 2017 & 2018 I developed new knowledge about water concepts 6.28 6.41 6.35 I developed new knowledge about scientific modeling 6.17 5.92 6.03 I developed new knowledge about socio-scientific issues-based teaching and learning 6.24 5.70 5.94 I am better able to use instructional resources to support students' learning about water 6.34 6.16 6.24 I am better able to use scientific modeling to support students' learning about water 6.14 5.97 6.05 I am better able to use socio-scientific issues-based approaches to supporting students' learning about water 6.03 5.68 5.83 The length of the workshop was effective 6.31 6.27 6.29 The structure of the workshop was effective 6.07 6.16 6.12 The instructors for the workshop were effective 6.34 6.38 6.36 My goals for this workshop were met 6.03 6.19 6.12 Workshop qualitative responses Three main themes emerged when participants were asked what aspect they found most effective from the workshop--resources, hands-on activities, and the course format. Table 5 contains a sample of participant reflections based on thematic area. Table 5. Which aspects of the workshop did you find most effective? Resources "Great use of time, highly applicable, fabulous resources, great teachers" "I appreciated the resources that were given and modeled along with the support from the Groundwater Foundation. I definitely have some things that I could implement tomorrow in the classroom." "The resources provided for the class and modeling of the HGC were effective and I feel I now have a resource and material to teach in more depth about groundwater." "Information was helpful and will be useful in the school year. I also really love the Awesome Aquifer kit and WILL use it this upcoming year." "Awesome aquifers kit time - MORE OF THIS!" "I love all the resources and the experts that were brought in." "Exposure to actual data sets and maps that we can use in class." "Introduction to many online resources and connecting with scientists." Hands-on Activities "Hands-on experience with lab activities." "Enjoyed and learned a lot from the hands on activities." "I like the hands-on activities and the awesome aquifer activities. These will be easy to implement into my curriculum." "The hands-on activities were awesome." "The hands on training with the modules provided by each scientist help with my understanding of the module and my ability to integrate this material into my classroom." "The hands on and working with the data sets were challenging but very effective." "The hands on activities and the networking." Course Format "The inclusion of researchers in the PD was a great way to actualize real-world issues and how to incorporate these into the classroom." "The time to discuss with other teachers, The hands on activities, hearing about real life research projects and being able to use the data or collect similar data with students, tie ins to real Nebraska issues." "Great format, great variety, great balance of online and in-person interactive instruction." "I enjoyed the fact that we were always moving and changing gears." "Direct instructions combined with online segments was a good balance." Workshop participants were also asked what aspects they thought could be improved with the workshop. For this question, There was a distinct difference in responses across years. Responses from the 2017 cohort were more critical in terms of time was allocated during the workshop. Although responses were less cohesive, a main theme that emerged from the 2017 cohort was the need for more practice and/or time spent "doing." In contrast, the responses from the 2018 cohort were very positive and most individuals noted nothing needed to be added to the workshop. Of the 2018 cohort that provided comments, the common theme was the need for more time. More time for participants did not necessarily mean a longer workshop session because individuals noted they wanted time to "process information" as well as have a few more days to turn in assignments or time set aside to interact with fellow colleagues. Analysis of additional project data is ongoing.
Publications
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Progress 12/01/16 to 11/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:We worked with partner districts to circulate information about the WELS2 program to teachers. In June, 2017, we held the first WELS2 workshop, a week-long experience for teachers. 45 K-12 science teachers expressed interest in the program. The workshop was held for 30 6-12 teachers. Approximately 15 of them completed the workshop for graduate course credit - NRES 898 - Teaching and Learning about Water Systems Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?NRES 898 Teaching and Learning about Water Systems Summer, 2017 About the Course A course designed to support educators to support students' learning about water systems. As part of this course, students will learn about water systems, use relevant science standards, assessments, and other instructional tools to plan for implementation of science instruction focused on water systems in formal, informal, and non-formal settings, and integrate a focus on water systems into their own curriculum by adapting and/or supplementing instructional resources that reflect these new pedagogical approaches. A major component of the course will involve introducing teachers to the Hydrogeology Challenge, a computer-based groundwater simulation tool developed by the Groundwater Foundation. This resource, accessible online on PC- and Apple devices (computers and tablets), affords students opportunities to explore basic characteristics of groundwater through a variety of scenarios and associated curricular resources for teachers and students. Course Objectives This course focuses on two primary objectives. Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to: Explain principles and core tenets of novel technological tools, scientific modeling, and SSI-based pedagogical approaches to enhance teaching and learning about water systems Design effective learning experiences for students in formal, informal, and/or non-formal settings utilizing novel technological tools, scientific modeling, and SSI-based pedagogical approaches to enhance teaching and learning about water systems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our program model was disseminated in summer, 2017 at the 2017 Earth Educators' Rendezvous What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Objective #1 Improve teachers' knowledge of water resource systems Participants wil participate in ongoing workshops and course offerings that positively impact their content knowledge Objective #2 Support teachers' use of standards, assessment, and other instructional tools to plan for and implement science instruction focused on water resource systems Ongoing workshops and course offerings will afford opportunities to use these resources and develop/modify instructional plans for their use Objective #3 Positively impact student achievement (i.e., students' learning about water resource systems). Teachers are implementing revised instruction in AY 2017-2018, which the project is working to measure. Ongoing efforts towards Objs #1 and #2 and expected to positively impact Obj #3
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective #1 Improve teachers' knowledge of water resource systems The NRES 898 course focused, in part, on core water related concepts. We administered a pre-test to teachers which will be compared to results from a post-test at the end of the rpoject. Efforts are ongoing re: Obj #1 Objective #2 Support teachers' use of standards, assessment, and other instructional tools to plan for and implement science instruction focused on water resource systems Teachers engaged with instructional resources, including standards and the Hydrogeology Challenge, to develop 5-day plans of instruction for their own classrooms using the HG Challenge. Teachers are currently implementing these modules during the 2017-2018 AY Objective #3 Positively impact student achievement (i.e., students' learning about water resource systems). We are working with teachers in AY 2017-2018 to measure student achievement
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Vo, T. & Forbes, C. T., (2017, July). Supporting K-12 teachers instruction about water using scientific modeling: A view across programs. Poster presented at 2017 Earth Educators' Rendezvous, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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