Missed opportunities for observation‐based ecology in the Next Generation Science Standards
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392629 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eileen G Merritt (0000-0001-8405-5225, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University Glendale Arizona, corresponding author), Nicole Bowers (0000-0001-9408-6885, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University Glendale Arizona) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 619-640 |
| Publication date | 2020-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.21572 |
| OpenAlex | W3006067216 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 65 |
Observation‐based ecology (OBE) generates critical knowledge about the health of ecological systems and human impacts on these systems. Systematic observations of organisms and processes from an early age can help children develop ecological knowledge and skills, and deepen their connection to the natural world. Yet recent educational reforms may privilege other scientific and engineering practices (SEPs) over OBE methods. We used lexical analysis of Next Generation Science Standards documents to identify instances of observational methods suggested in the SEPs and ecology‐related performance expectations (PEs). We identify where observations are included and omitted in these documents. Only 16 of the 175 (9%) learning progression descriptions for the SEPs explicitly mention observations. Nine out of 142 (6%) PEs related to ecology require observations. OBE opportunities were particularly scarce in middle and high school years, and missing entirely from PEs for disciplinary core ideas related to ecosystems and human impacts on ecosystems. We consider how these missed opportunities may constrain place‐based learning in natural environments, and reflect on implications for educators, students, and nonhuman others
Biology · Discipline · Geography · Mathematics education · Natural (archaeology) · Next Generation Science Standards · Science education · Social science · Sociology · Animal and Plant Science Education · Ecology · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology · Science Education and Pedagogy
Leaving the laboratory
“Our School’s Biodiversity”
Curiosity as Anti-Standard
Learning to see, seeing to learn
Epistemic Objects and Tools on the School Grounds
Science education for and as resiliency through indoor agriculture
Teaching outside as third space
A systematic literature review to identify evidence-based principles to improve online environmental education
Biophilia
A globally coherent fingerprint of climate change impacts across natural systems
Connection to Nature
Sense of place in the practice and assessment of place‐based science teaching
‘Loveable’ mammals and ‘lifeless’ plants
Rational responses to high stakes testing
A Measure of Nature Connectedness for Children and Adults
Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Science
Last child in the woods – saving our children from nature‐deficit disorder
Significant Life Experiences Revisited
Analysing Documents
Experience and Education
Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science
Developmental Psychology and the Biophilia Hypothesis
Bringing the jellyfish home
Oil and water still
Place‐based education
How the environment is positioned in the Next Generation Science Standards
Influences on US middle school teachers’ use of environment‐based education
Bridging the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide
Educative experiences and early childhood science education
The Narrowing of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Age of Accountability Urban Educators Speak Out
Foundations of Place
Schools as Developmental Contexts During Adolescence
The Three-Story Challenge
Determining Validity in Qualitative Inquiry
Can Local Ecological Knowledge Contribute to Wildlife Management? Case Studies of Migratory Birds
Intentional Fire-Spreading by "Firehawk" Raptors in Northern Australia
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |