A look into Preparing Secondary Science Teachers with Citizen Science

Resumen

Ecojustice philosophy is an exciting approach for science education that can increase student and community interactions while promoting awareness of culture, science, and learning. The research presented here was collected over one semester of a secondary science teacher preparation course that utilized ecojustice philosophy and citizen science as a framework for instruction. Highlighted in this article are expectations of the professor and university, assignments and daily course activities, the location of courses as they serve as exemplars of enacting ecojustice philosophy, and perspectives from preservice teachers on what they were learning. This research shares that when pre-service teachers are allowed to participate in philosophical and pedagogical approaches to science instruction that contradict the familiar, they express discomfort. However, these learning opportunities have long-term potential benefits. By forcing preservice teachers to step outside of their comfortable spaces and into class being held in the rain, their perceptions of teaching and learning were defied. In turn, these related experiences encouraged them to alter their teaching practices to co-exist alongside a new framework of ecojustice philosophy, a philosophy that highlights the benefit to challenging assumptions and promoting diversity in thought and action. The ability to consider alternative perspectives, at least for these preservice teachers, provided rewards that may be felt by their students, such as a deeper appreciation for and involvement within the local community.