ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS: EXPLORATORY PROGRAMS IN UNIVERSITY FACILITATION OF K-12 GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION

The traditional role of higher education in K-12 science education centers on the instruction of science teachers during their pursuit and maintenance of certification. Once these teachers graduate, their engagement in science depends upon personal resources that have not been explicitly developed for the practice of science. Ongoing mentoring of K-12 teachers and direct input into their programs of instruction can help to maintain the vitality and relevance of their instruction, particularly for inquiry-based learning activities; however, time constraints severely limit the availability of most academics directly involved in research.

A new geoscience institute at Dixie State College of Utah (DSC), established to provide inquiry-based learning opportunities for students in higher education, is also exploring efficient ways for science professionals to contribute to the science engagement of K-12 teachers and students. Programs currently under development incorporate diverse partnerships that enable active scientists to share their expertise and enthusiasm in ways that establish and maintain connections to K-12 science classrooms, without incurring responsibility for time-consuming logistics. These include: a partnership with the STEM Education Center at DSC to implement a field research experience for K-12 science teachers in Washington County, funded by a state grant; a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Sunrise Ridge Intermediate School to provide a “Day in the Desert”, featuring field-based, active learning modules facilitated by science education majors at DSC; and a partnership with the “Impossible to Possible” (I2P) organizers, their academic consulting team at Simon Fraser University, and the BLM to provide science content and hands-on activities for K-12 classrooms linked to a science adventure challenge in the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. In each of these programs, the key role of the geology instructor is to link student activities to professional research in a sustainable relationship. This report details the current status of each of these projects and describes the strategies implemented to establish durable connections between participants and ongoing research initiatives.