|
WAKULLA- Members of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP)
Office of Environmental Education (OEE) along with education providers from
Texas and Louisiana assembled today to review the results of a year-long pilot
study designed to increase student achievement in science through hands-on
learning. The Gulf of Mexico Ocean Literacy Project measures success through
increased student test scores while enhancing teachers’ professional development
and promoting stewardship of coastal lands and waters.
“Very few topics capture the attention and imagination of students like the
environment and the wildlife it supports,” said OEE Director Greg Ira. “We can
harness and direct that interest toward science education and achieve two goals
at the same time -- increasing student achievement in science and building a
sense of environmental stewardship to help today’s students prepare for
tomorrow’s economic, social and environmental challenges.”
The Gulf of Mexico Ocean Literacy Project, led by the OEE, supports the
efforts of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance to develop environmental education
strategies for underserved and underrepresented coastal populations along the
Gulf and inspire the next generation of scientists and resource managers. The
OEE partnered with the Texas State Aquarium and the Louisiana Universities
Marine Consortium to pilot test selected educational strategies in a consistent
manner in three unique locations. Approximately 100 students in Corpus Christi,
Texas, Chauvin, Louisiana and Dunedin, Florida participated in a minimum of
three field experiences in and around their coastal environment. Project
activities included water quality testing, wetland conservation and monitoring
the effects of nutrients in waterways.
The pilot program demonstrated that environmental field experiences can
enhance students’ interest, knowledge and skills related to science. In each of
11 field experiences, students showed gains from pretest to posttest scores. In
posttest scores, students in Texas showed the largest increase with 74 percent,
followed by Florida students with a 41 percent increase and Louisiana students
showing a nine percent increase. Student survey data showed that all of the
students who completed the survey either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that
outdoor field activities helped them to better understand the topics learned in
science class. Similarly, approximately 75 percent of teachers ‘agreed’ that the
program increased achievement among participating students. These and other
results will be documented during the final series of three workshops at Wakulla
Springs State Park over the next two days.
Additional conclusions from the project include:
- Small group size is crucial to field-based, hands-on activities and many
facilitators are needed to work with a large number of small groups.
- Having
multiple field experiences during the year is more effective than a single field
experience.
- Local environmental topics and locations provide effective subject
matter for science education.
- District and School Administrators need mechanisms
to support off-campus learning.
The Office of Environmental Education strives to cultivate and support
environmental citizenship through awareness, understanding and appreciation of
Florida's environment and the capacity to think critically and participate
constructively in its protection. Together with other government agencies,
non-profits, the academic and the private sector, the OEE contributes structure
and funding of environmental education in Florida through programs such as LIFE,
Learning in Florida’s Environment.
Since 2004, almost 3,500 future scientists and stewards have participated in
the LIFE program. The LIFE initiative seeks to establish a series of
field-based, environmental-science education programs throughout the state. Each
of the nine existing programs is a partnership between the DEP and a local
school district. The goal of each LIFE program is increased student achievement
and teacher professional development in science, with the content and delivery
varying from site to site.
For more information about the LIFE program, visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ed/lifeprogram.htm. For more
information about the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gulf/.
| 
