C . D . M U R A K A M I , P. E . S T U A R T , S . B . W I T Z I G , & A . M . W A L D R O N

EXPLORING SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS USING FOODS, INVESTIGATIONS,

SOILS, AND HEALTHY HABITS: A CASE STUDY

MU Science education Center University of Missouri - Columbia

By emphasizing and explaining the dependency of living things on each other and on the physical environment, science fosters the kind of intelligent respect for nature that should inform decisions on the uses of technology; without that respect, we are in danger of recklessly destroying our life-support system (p.1)

WHERE DID THIS QUOTATION COME FROM?

• By emphasizing and explaining the dependency of living things on each other and on the physical environment, science fosters the kind of intelligent respect for nature that should inform decisions on the uses of technology; without that respect, we are in danger of recklessly destroying our life-support system (p.1)a) North American Association for Environmental Educationb) Science for All Americansc) Brundtland report Our Common Futured) The Lorax

FOOD SYSTEMS -> TIER 0

• Fast Food Nation (Schlosser, 2001), • Food Politics (Nestle, 2007)• The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Pollan, 2006),• Closing the Food Gap (Winne, 2008)• Edible Schoolyards (Alice Waters) and Learning

Gardens (Williams & Brown, 2012)

FISHH PROGRAM

• What is FISHH?• Teaching and learning about Foods,

Investigations, Soils, and Healthy Habits.• Teacher Training program and summer camp• Turned into a pre-service science teacher field experience• 8 future secondary science teachers

• FISHH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION?

FOODS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

• Education Research and Food • (Weaver-Hightower, 2011)

• Critical Urban Science Education • (Tan & Barton, 2011) Cultural Foods and Nutrition• (Fusco, 2001) Urban gardens• local forms of knowledge• generate agency for marginalized individuals• (Barton, 1998; Fusco, 2001).

• (Mallya et al., 2012) Choice, Control, and Change

INVESTIGATIONS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

• Inquiry (NRC, 1996)

• Science Processes/Practices (NRC, 2011)

• Improve Science Achievement • (Klemmer et al, 2005)

SOIL IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

• “Soil is the placenta of the earth” (Jackson, 1980)• Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education

(Williams & Brown, 2012)

HEALTHY HABITS AND SCIENCE

• Garden Education for Nutrition• Improve Food Choice Behavior• (Morris & Zidenberg-Cherr, 2002; Ozer, 2006; Ratcliffe,

Merrigan, Rogers, & Goldberg, 2009; McAleese, 2007)

• Gardens and Environmental Attitudes• (Waliczek & Zajicek, 1999)

FOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH

• FISHH is a set of environmental issues• Teacher attitudes towards teaching environmental issues• (Kim and Fortner, 2006)• Attitudes vary

• Teacher attitudes towards garden education• (Graham and Zidenberg-Charr, 2005)

• Good, but more knowledge

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH

• The purpose of this research is to explore the nature of pre-service science teacher attitudes towards using and environmental issue of food-based science education. • Intentional about food • Provide a training opportunity

THEORETICAL MODEL

• (Jones and Carter, 2007)Socio-cultural embedded belief systems

• Beliefs influenced by:• Barriers to instruction – internal/external• Perceptions of instructional strategy• Attitudes towards using strategy• How do students learn?

RESEARCH DESIGN

Component of Theoretical Model Data Collected

Internal and External Barriers to Teaching FISHH

Response to open-ended surveys and reflection conversations and observations

Motivations for teaching science Response to open-ended surveys and confirmed through reflection conversations

Beliefs about how students best learn Observations in the field and reflection conversations

Attitudes about teaching through FISHH and attitudes about using the practices

Open-ended surveys related to each of the topics and reflection conversations

Intent to teach through FISHH From all data sources

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND

• 1) What are the perceived internal and external barriers towards food-based environmental education in secondary science?• 2) What is the nature of these pre-service

science teachers’ beliefs about instruction using FISHH?

SELECTED FINDINGS

• Internal Barriers: Knowledge

• External Barriers: Economics (time/money), structures, and interests

• Previous Experiences Influence Attitudes.

BARRIERS TO TEACHING FISHH

“I think that the money to teach these lessons is not always there. I think teachers don't want to take the time to teach real applications of these ideas because they reach outside the realm of everyday teaching (even though it shouldn't be). I think administration is not always supportive of fostering FISHH investigations because people don't consider it to be important or necessary (sadly, though)”– Richard.• Biology Major, special education teaching experience,

previous experiences with gardening

BARRIERS TO TEACHING FISHH

Sally presented similar concerns that teachers are limited by “resources and availability of knowledge” and continues that “composting is not an extremely popular subject that lots of people have background knowledge in and many teachers may not wish to spend the time learning about it.” B.S. Chemistry, future chemistry teacher

ATTITUDES TOWARDS USING FISHH

“For instance, maybe the students read about a small field of corn next to a small pond and the result of this ecosystem is that all the fish in the pond are dying. We may ask the students to investigate, based on several factors, what is causing the fish population to die” –AllisonB.A. Agriculture, future MS science teacher, requested FISHH instructional materials

“Eh… soil, it’s a little boring” -Stacey, B.S. Biology, Future biology teacher)

DISCUSSION

• More experience teaching and positive orientations towards teaching EE (Cheng & Monroe, 2010).• Previous experiences in FISHH

• Disconnection between Soil, Chemistry, and Biology?• Soil Science is applied chemistry (with physics, biology,

and ecology)

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

• (Jones & Carter, 2007)culture and teaching context matter. • Diversity and teacher attitudes• In-service science education research

• Further explore barriers to food-based science instruction; how are they negotiated in school garden programs? (Blair, 2009)• Concern about management during FISHH

FOLLOW-UP?

Chris,I feel like our discussions did focus on [classroom

management] simply because our group had very little time in the classroom before beginning FISHH. We were all kind of panicking about our upcoming internships and did not have a very good idea of what to expect when designing curriculum or classroom activities. I think that if you held the conversation now, after we have been in the classroom for 25 weeks, you would have a much different conversation - one focused around using FISHH as curriculum fodder. Even now, I see myself reflecting on how much I did NOT know about lesson planning at that point in the summer and how my conversations are MUCH more informed at this point. 

Hope this helps! – Richard

PAPER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Paper available at: http://wp.me/p1sEFg-4o• Email: cdmvk7@mail.missouri.edu• Thanks to my collaborators and the research

participants• NWF – Campus Ecology Fellowship• North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture

Research and Education (NCR-SARE)• Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture• Uprise Bakery

QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCHERS

• What are the perceived barriers towards researching about food issues?

• What are your attitudes towards researching food issues in science education?