Reports

Authors: Esch, R. Keith, Emily Burbacher, Eric Dodrill, Kristen DeVanna Fussell, Mitchell Magdich, Heather Norris, and W. Robert Midden

Date: July 2020

Citizen science (CS) projects have become widespread in part because they expand the capacity of professional scientists, enabling research that would otherwise be impracticable or unaffordable.  In addition to the research benefits, educators and scientists have seen educational value in CS because it can incorporate students into real-world science projects.  As a result, CS is increasingly making its way into schools.  This report offers experience-based insights that can help realize the promise of school-based CS.  All of the authors are scientists who have been involved in such efforts.

Citizen Science in Schools: Scientists’ Perspectives on Promise and Pitfalls

Copyright and Usage: Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) holds the copyright on this report. HRI grants permission for unlimited use, whether the entire report or excerpts, for non-commercial purposes. The report should be cited as follows:

Esch, R. Keith, Emily Burbacher, Eric Dodrill, Kristen DeVanna Fussell, Mitchell Magdich, Heather Norris, and W. Robert Midden. (2020). Citizen Science in Schools: Scientists’ Perspectives on Promise and Pitfalls. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research, Inc.

Authors: Meredith L. Hayes, P. Sean Smith, and W. Robert Midden

Date: April 2020

Science instruction reform efforts call for increased opportunities for students to engage with science content and practices.  School-based citizen science (CS), when implemented well, addresses this call and provides a meaningful context for student learning.  Despite CS projects’ increasing role in formal science instruction, research on the potential for learning and conditions that support learning in CS contexts is thin.  Using case study findings, this report discusses factors that affect teachers’ decisions to integrate CS, as well as implications for supporting the uptake of effective school-based CS.

Factors Affecting Teachers’ Decisions to Integrate Citizen Science Into Classroom Instruction

Copyright and Usage: Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) holds the copyright on this report. HRI grants permission for unlimited use, whether the entire report or excerpts, for non-commercial purposes. The report should be cited as follows:

Hayes, M. L., Smith, P. S., & Midden, W. R. (2020). Factors Affecting Teachers’ Decisions to Integrate Citizen Science Into Classroom Instruction. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research, Inc.