School participation in citizen science (SPICES): substantiating a field of research and practice

Kali, Yael; Sagy, Ornit; Matuk, Camillia; Magnussen, Rikke

doi:10.1007/s11251-023-09638-4

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…In this contribution we describe the close interaction between scientists and citizen science coordinators and selected teachers who evaluate and test the research activities. Several reports emphasize the importance of efficient communication between teachers and scientists (e.g., Zoellick et al, 2012;Atias et al, 2023a), which is essential to guarantee straightforward research activities that have an appropriate duration and are adapted to the motivation and capacities of schoolchildren (Bopardikar et al, 2023;Kali et al, 2023). This also ensures mutual benefits for teachers (learning goals) and scientists (contribution to research), which is essential for successful school citizen science projects (Kali et al, 2020;Roche et al, 2020).…”

Section: Internal Communicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication strategies in an international school citizen science program investigating marine litter

Thiel,

Baeza Álvarez,

Diaz

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Communication is an essential element of science, and while it is important in all scientific endeavors, it gains substantial strategic relevance in citizen science projects. For a school citizen science program to be successful, an adequate communication strategy needs to achieve a balance between learning objectives and the generation of scientific knowledge. In this community case study, we report on the communication strategies of an international network, namely, the citizen science program Científicos de la Basura (Litter Scientists), which collaborates with schoolteachers and schoolchildren to investigate anthropogenic litter on marine beaches and in rivers. The program has been active in Chile since 2007, and as of 2018, it had expanded to the 11 countries from the central and southern East Pacific. More than 40 teachers and collaborators from these countries work in this network making an effort to connect the research activities with the learning objectives of the school curriculum. The communication between the coordination team and the teachers includes three main elements (1 - design and planning; 2 - training and research; 3 - evaluation and sharing), with the following activities: (1a) regular internal communication within the coordination team to design, motivate and supervise adequate research projects, (1b) communication with teachers to design appropriate learning materials (co-creation) and get their feedback on the planned research activities, (2a) sharing the final research plan and transfer methodological skills through regular training of the teachers, (2b) responding to methodological questions by the teachers about the sampling, and coordinate data collection and validation, (3a) guiding teachers and schoolchildren in the evaluation and interpretation of their research results, and (3b) encouraging teachers and schoolchildren to communicate their scientific findings to the wider community. Intense internal communication and regular exchange with teachers guarantees successful learning and rigorous scientific information. The main challenges for the program are team capacity, socio-economic stability, internet access, and teachers’ workloads. Recommendations to achieve successful communication and good science are efficient team communication skills, customized contacts, collaborative work, guidance of field work, feedback from participants, and promoting the sense of community.

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Section: Internal Communicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication strategies in an international school citizen science program investigating marine litter

Thiel,

Baeza Álvarez,

Diaz

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Deciphering the role of epistemic injustice in school‐based citizen science: Sources, implications, and possible ways for mitigation

Atias,

Shavit,

Kali

et al. 2024

J Res Sci Teach

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Participation in citizen science, a research approach in which nonscientists take part in performing research, is a growing practice in schools. A main premise in school‐based citizen science is that through their participation, students and teachers make meaningful contributions to the advancement of science. However, such initiatives may encounter difficulties in drawing on students' and teachers' knowledge and incorporating their voice in research processes and outcomes, partly due to established knowledge hierarchies in both science and schools. This research theoretically examines misuses of students' and teachers' knowledge in school‐based citizen science that can be defined as an epistemic injustice. This term describes wrongful evaluations and considerations of people's knowledge or perspectives. Based on existing theoretical work on epistemic injustice, we first map out epistemic justifications for public participation in science and discuss deficiencies in current forms of citizen science that lead to the perseverance of epistemic injustice. Then, we identify and characterize four forms through which epistemic injustice may be manifested in school‐based citizen science. Our theoretical analysis is complemented by illustrative examples from citizen science projects enacted in schools, demonstrating cases where epistemic injustice toward students and teachers was either instigated or mitigated. We discuss implications toward educational goals and the design of school‐based citizen science, suggesting that epistemic injustice can be reduced or avoided by delegating authorities to schools, maximizing teacher and student agency, and leveraging schools' community connections. Overall, this research establishes theoretical grounds for examinations of epistemic injustice in school‐based citizen science.

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Community and citizen science in schools: nested inquiries, productive tensions, and the role of communities

Ballard

2023

Instr Sci

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School participation in citizen science (SPICES): substantiating a field of research and practice

Cited by 5 publications

References 29 publications

Communication strategies in an international school citizen science program investigating marine litter

Communication strategies in an international school citizen science program investigating marine litter

Deciphering the role of epistemic injustice in school‐based citizen science: Sources, implications, and possible ways for mitigation

Community and citizen science in schools: nested inquiries, productive tensions, and the role of communities

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