| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | January 25, 2022 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | January 25, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2204901 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Asli Sezen-Barrie
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | February 1, 2022 |
| End Date: | January 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $185,731.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $185,731.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
6350 QUADRANGLE DR STE 130 CHAPEL HILL NC US 27517-7803 (919)489-1725 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
326 CLOISTER CT CHAPEL HILL NC US 27514-2296 |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Discovery Research K-12 |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
When a global health crisis emerges, students at all levels turn to their science teachers for information and, at times, reassurance, according to researchers at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI). Science teachers serve a critically important public health function and become an important part of the nation?s response efforts. Since 2020, tens of thousands of science teachers in the United States have helped students grapple with the reality of SARS-COV-2 and COVID-19. This includes not only supporting the emergent scientific learning opportunities, but also functioning as public health educators and advocates in the midst of the global pandemic. HRI explored the early role of science teachers during the pandemic with a prior RAPID project, which demonstrated that science teachers were engaged in a wide variety of educational activities with students related to the pandemic and public health education. However, now nearly two years into the global pandemic, there are a number of new topics that have arisen to explore with respect to science education, including vaccines and long-term immunity that were not able to be assessed early in the pandemic. This study will further the field's understanding of the role that science teachers play in adapting their instruction during a public health crisis, how they address emergent ideas throughout the unfolding of the pandemic, and the impacts that the pandemic has had on science teachers themselves.
The research will build on the prior RAPID award (2027397) and return to the sample of science teachers studied in that context. HRI will collect survey data to explore the following questions: (1) How does the pandemic continue to influence teachers? science instruction (for example, instructional time, instructional strategies), and how has that influence shifted? (2) How has teaching about COVID evolved? What new topics (for example, vaccines) have they taken up in the
context of COVID? (3) What factors now exert the greatest influence on science teachers? teaching about COVID, and how do those differ from the factors at play in the spring of 2020? (4) What are the impacts of the pandemic on science teachers themselves, including manageability of workload, opportunities for professional growth/development, physical/mental wellness, and job satisfaction? Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the survey will be constructed to identify factors that predict whether teachers take up the topic. The survey will also collect data about how teachers address the virus and its transmission with their students. HRI will disaggregate survey data by school-, class-, student-, and teacher-level variables to identify patterns in student opportunities. Survey data will be supplemented by interviews with 50 survey respondents to gather more in-depth information related to the constructs of interest. Study findings will be immediately shared through a preliminary report that focuses on the survey data; presentations and dissemination through practitioner and research organizations; and policy briefs to the CDC and NIH to acknowledge the role of science teachers as public health advocates and encouraging those agencies to make resources available to science teachers to support this role.
This RAPID award is made by the DRK-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning. The Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by preK-12 students and teachers, through the research and development of new innovations and approaches. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for the projects.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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.
In the spring of 2020, Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how K–12 science teachers respond when urgent science-related issues such as COVID emerge. In early 2022, HRI received support from NSF to build on and expand knowledge generated by our original study. This follow-up study addressed the following research questions:
1. How does the COVID pandemic continue to influence teachers' science instruction and how has that influence shifted?
2. How has teaching about COVID evolved? What new topics have teachers taken up in the context of COVID?
3. What factors exert the greatest influence on science teachers' teaching about COVID and how do those differ from the factors at play in the spring of 2020?
4. What are the impacts of the COVID pandemic on science teachers themselves?
HRI developed and administered a survey to over 1,000 science teachers across three grade bands (elementary, middle, high). HRI also conducted interviews with a sample of 40 K-12 science teachers to elicit additional information about the varied contexts in which teachers worked.
Study data indicate that teachers accessed a variety of media sources to find information about COVID, with large percentages relying on health information websites such as the CDC and NIH. Across grade bands, the most commonly addressed topics included ways to prevent transmission, how the virus is transmitted and what coronavirus/COVID-19 is. As the pandemic persisted, teachers increasingly focused on topics related to public health, such as the impacts of social distancing and factors that place people at risk for contracting the virus.
The majority of teachers at each grade band indicated that students asked questions about COVID. The questions students asked most often centered around three topics; vaccines/boosters, personal concerns, and how to prevent transmission.
Across grade bands, about one-quarter of teachers chose to address COVID in their instruction because it was a relevant/current event. However, the most common reason why elementary and middle school teachers addressed COVID was to promote public health safety. Conversely, when teachers did not address COVID, the most common reasons were that (1) it was not related to their standards/curriculum and (2) they feared pushback from parents/students.
Teachers spent a substantial amount of time on instructional and noninstructional activities during the pandemic, much more so than the amount of time they spent on similar activities prior to the pandemic. Teachers reported feeling exhausted, disconnected from students and colleagues, and overwhelmed by the amount of extra work and technology issues that were required to teach science. The height of the pandemic saw a dip in teachers' positive feelings toward teaching science. Negative feelings, including being overwhelmed by additional burdens and frustrated by lack of support, greatly increased and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Teachers were asked to share their biggest challenges and unanticipated benefits of teaching during COVID. Transitioning to remote/hybrid instruction and the inability to utilize hands-on or group learning were among the biggest challenges science teachers faced. At the same time, teachers reported that they adapted to new technologies and learned new skills as a result of the rapid shift to online learning. Teachers also discovered and created new materials or resources that could be used in various instructional arrangements.
A majority of teachers reported having access to mental health services in their schools during the pandemic, but many fewer actually received mental health support. When teachers received support, it was most often focused on helping connect students to mental health services or resources.
Most teachers said they have stayed in the profession due to enjoyment in working with students and their passion for teaching/content. However, since the onset of the pandemic, the extent to which teachers have considered leaving the profession has drastically increased. Half of science teachers reported being at least somewhat likely to leave the profession within the next two years. The stress of teaching, demands of teaching on their time, and student behavior were among the most common factors contributing to teachers leaving or considering leaving the profession. About half of teachers who reported leaving the profession did so because of reasons related to the COVID pandemic.
The overarching finding in this study is that science teachers played an important but often unacknowledged role as public health educators. They provided accurate information to their students and their communities while at the same time combatting misinformation. They calmed student fears and tended to students’ social-emotional well-being more broadly. Teachers rose to the occasion and provided a critical service to the nation, but it took a toll on them. Large proportions report seriously considering leaving the impression, creating the potential for an even greater shortage of science teachers unless their well-being is addressed.
Last Modified: 12/12/2023
Modified by: Peggy J Trygstad
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