Digging for the Next Generation of Geologists: The ...€¦ · Digging for the Next Generation of...
Transcript of Digging for the Next Generation of Geologists: The ...€¦ · Digging for the Next Generation of...
Digging for the Next Generation
of Geologists: The Effectiveness
of Saturday Science Academy Elysse Hernandez, Philip Stokes, Karl Flessa
– The University of Arizona
Students learning about dendrochronology and how fossils are made
The Problem
• There are not many minorities in geology
• Lack of understanding?
Geosciences
NSF WebCASPAR (NCES/IPEDS)
SAGUARO & MESA
• Saguaro – NSF grant to increase diversity
in geosciences
• MESA – Mathematics, Engineering
Science Achievement: underrepresented
minorities in secondary schools
• Common goals, common events
Saturday Science Academy
• One day event to engage middle and high school students in the geosciences
• Emphasis on minority students
• Held each year at the University of Arizona
• More than 100 students attend each year
• Pre- and post-event surveys in 2010 and 2011
Volcano Eruption
How we do outreach
Who goes to Saturday Science
Academy?
• Middle and high school students
Male 46% Female
54%
19.5%
46.3%
4.9% 4.9% 3.7%
12.2% 8.5%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
Grade Level
of SSA
Participants
Data from our 2011 event
63.9%
4.8%
27.7%
4.8% 3.6%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
American Indian/Alaska Native
Black Hispanic/Latino Asian White
Race/Ethnicity
of SSA
Participants
So, how did we do?
• Did our teaching
increase the
knowledge and
interest of the
students?
• Are there differences
among the
racial/ethnic groups?
The Surveys
• Pre and post surveys
• Incentives used to get
both surveys back
• 2011: 150 surveys
distributed
• 92 collected at end of
event.
Self-reported increase in
knowledge
7.5%
48.8%
26.3%
17.5%
24.7%
48.1%
12.3%
14.8%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
A lot A Few Things Almost Nothing Nothing
PRE POST
How much do you
know about Tucson
floods??
PR
E
PO
ST
2.5%
35.0%
30.0%
32.5%
22.2%
44.4%
17.3% 16.0%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
A lot A Few Things Almost Nothing Nothing
PRE POST
How much do you
know about local
geology?
PO
ST
PR
E
Differences among
minority groups
Differences in reaching each group…
32.0%
50.0%
8.0% 10.0%
56.5%
30.4%
8.7%
4.3%
63.6%
36.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
American Indian/Alaska Native Hispanic/Latino White
My family would
support me in
Geosciences
27.3%
63.6%
4.5% 4.5%
52.2%
47.8%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
PRE POST
Hispanic students:
Geosciences are
interesting
20.0%
66.0%
10.0%
4.0%
26.0%
64.0%
10.0%
0.0% 0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
PRE POST
Native American
students:
Geosciences are
interesting
Effectiveness • Program is an overall
success
• Pre vs. post surveys:
increase in self-
reported knowledge.
• Differences seen in
reaching each group
Students learning about river geomorphology
Interpretation
• We increased interest among Hispanic
students
• But not among Native Americans
• Why?
Conclusions
• 2011 results – overall success
– Students more interested in the geosciences
– Students more knowledgable in geosciences
– Teaching them about the kinds of jobs that
geoscience majors can get
• Future Saturday Science Academies
should be culturally sensitive
Acknowledgements
•Philip J Stokes and Karl Flessa – University of Arizona,
Geosciences department
•Dean Gerdeman, Jenelle Zumbusch, Roger Levine and Mimi
Fuhrman – American Institute for Research
•Manny Leon – Mathematics Engineering Science
Achievement
•National Science Foundation
•University of Arizona Geosciences department