| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | February 20, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 20, 2015 |
| Award Number: | 1520689 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
David Haury
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | March 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | February 28, 2017 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $199,430.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $199,430.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
6350 QUADRANGLE DR STE 130 CHAPEL HILL NC US 27517-7803 (919)489-1725 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
326 Cloister Court Chapel Hill NC US 27514-2296 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | Discovery Research K-12 |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The Discovery Research K-12 (DRK-12) program supports projects that enhance learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by preK-12 students, teachers, administrators, and parents. This project will contribute to that mission by developing resources for teachers and administrators that will provide instructional guidance for teaching about the Ebola virus and other epidemics of infectious diseases that may arise. The resources to be developed will include guidelines for administrators and teachers, and these resources will be distributed both in print form and through the Web portals of project partners, including the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA), and the Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS). Policy briefs related to teaching and learning about Ebola and will be tailored for specific organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Education Association. The informational needs of teachers and administrators will be determined through large-scale surveys of teachers and science supervisors of school districts and states. The resources developed by the project are expected to have broad impacts nationwide in helping schoolteachers and administrators respond constructively to the spread of misinformation that often accompanies outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as Ebola.
To determine the informational needs of teachers and administrators, the project will develop and administer three surveys: a teacher survey, a survey for school district science supervisors, and a survey for state science supervisors. The surveys will probe knowledge about Ebola and infectious diseases, where respondents get their information, how such information is incorporated into instruction, and what factors affect their responses. Survey items will be validated through expert review and follow-up cognitive interviews with a subset of responders. The project intends to survey 3,000 teachers and all members of NSELA and CSSS. Findings from the surveys and related interviews will be used to develop informational materials and policy briefs that can be used by teachers and districts to guide instructional practices and policies related to teaching about Ebola and related epidemics. Science teachers are uniquely positioned to counteract the spread of misinformation that often accompanies quickly emerging, science-related issues, and this project has the potential to provide much-needed guidance in providing reasoned, constructive responses.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Nationwide concern over infectious disease is not new. From polio in the early to mid-1900s to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the U.S. has encountered and addressed many global health crises. However, when citizens do not have accurate information, disease can spread unnecessarily. In addition, lack of knowledge about a disease can spark concerns and unwarranted fears, as was the case during the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. During the 2014–15 school year, the U.S. education system was uniquely positioned to convey accurate information about Ebola—how the disease spreads and, just as importantly, how to prevent it from spreading—combating what might be described as an epidemic of misinformation.
This study, Stopping an Epidemic of Misinformation: How K–12 Science Teachers Responded to Ebola, received support from the National Science Foundation to study how teachers, in particular science teachers, respond when urgent science-related issues such as Ebola emerge and what guides their responses to these issues. The study addressed the following research questions:
1. What did K–12 science teachers know about Ebola?
2. Where did K–12 science teachers get their information about Ebola and other emerging and urgent science-related issues, and what types of resources did they find most useful?
3. How do teachers adapt their teaching when science-related issues like Ebola emerge, whether the issue is part of their curriculum or not?
4. How do school district and state policies shape teachers’ response when such issues emerge?
In partnership with the National Science Teachers Association, the National Science Education Leadership Association, and the Council of State Science Supervisors, this study developed and administered a survey to approximately 3,500 K–12 science teachers. The survey asked where teachers got their information about Ebola, how they responded in their teaching, and what factors affected their response. Other survey items assessed teachers’ knowledge about the Ebola virus specifically—for example, how contagious the virus is relative to other viruses, how the virus is transmitted, and how to prevent transmission. Researchers also interviewed a portion of the respondents to delve more deeply into the issues asked about on the survey.
The study found that despite Ebola not being a part of their curriculum, most K–12 science teachers addressed the topic in their classrooms. Life science classes were very likely to take up the topic, but almost half of non-life science classes (e.g., chemistry and physics classes) did as well. Why? Among all teachers, the most frequently cited reason was that students were interested in the topic and asked questions. Most teachers reported that the students initiated discussions about Ebola in their classroom. Even some teachers who were not as comfortable with teaching the topic had discussions in their classroom because of their students’ interest.
The study found that Ebola instruction most commonly took the form of question and answer, with students asking the questions. This form of instruction may reflect both the lack of instructional materials available and teachers’ lack of time to prepare.
The results of the study also indicate that teachers actively sought information about the virus and disease, likely to shore up their own knowledge. Most teachers relied on health organization websites (e.g., CDC, NIH) for information. No other resource was relied on nearly as much, including television news programs, newspapers (print or online), websites from science teacher organizations, or magazines. Data from the survey and interviews strongly suggest that teachers would have benefitted from access to resources that were age appropriate for their students. Ebola-related resources designed specifically for teachers were scarce or non-existent.
Teachers have very busy schedules and may not have time to do the research, vet resources, and plan instruction on a topic like Ebola. Given that the science on emergent issues like Ebola evolves rapidly, it could be beneficial to put mechanisms in place to update teachers about what is being learned and alert them to new or revised resources. Health-related organizations (e.g., CDC and NIH) and science education organizations (e.g., the National Science Teachers Association, the National Association of Biology Teachers) are well positioned and have the infrastructure to disseminate information quickly to their members.
Overall, this study demonstrated that (1) science teachers are willing to create space in their curriculum to focus on a current health topic that is of interest to students, and (2) teachers will allow students’ inquiries to shape their class discussions. The study also found that teachers would have welcomed resources on Ebola that were designed specifically for instructional purposes.
Last Modified: 03/04/2017
Modified by: Patrick S Smith
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
