CAREER: Transforming Science Teaching and Learning Through Empowering Teachers and Students as Climate Justice Action Researchers and Change Agents

This project supports school-based science teachers and students in conducting community-based science research on the causes and effects of extreme heat/urban islands in racially and ethnically diverse communities. Doing research of this nature in schools is important, as students’ opportunities to engage in community-based science research usually occur in out-of-school contexts. Teachers will participate in professional learning experiences that support their development of content knowledge, scientific research practices, and critical pedagogies needed to design and implement research projects in their classroom. Students will identify locally-relevant issues related to this phenomenon, conduct investigations to explore the issue, share their findings through arts-based community narratives, and advocate for change. This project will broaden access to empowering youth-centered approaches that support learning and identity construction in science. Educational activities culminating from this research include the development of a graduate-level course focused on climate justice action research, as well as curricular materials for K-12 classroom use by teachers and students.

Qualitative and quantitative measures will be employed to study how 40 teachers across 4 cohorts develop their capacity to lead students in studying urban heat islands, an issue germane to their community. The research will explore how student participation in this action research shapes learning and identity construction in science. This project presents a novel approach to school-based science teaching and learning by empowering teachers and students as climate action researchers and change agents. The research will aid in the development of a hub for justice-centered science education and will also yield school-based materials and professional development activities that examine the interwoven nature of climate justice and racial justice. Further, project findings will support a transformative science teacher education model that empowers teachers as designers, equity advocates, and leaders in community-engaged science research.