By Suzanne Dowling and Mary Wymer
In today’s global economy, math and science are more important than ever. Yet, U.S. students continue falling behind in these subjects.
With that in mind, University of Alabama researchers are studying the impact “service learning” can have on academics with a program called “Science in Action.” And, in a separate effort, UA engineers are incorporating engineering applications into existing middle school science and math courses. Combined, the two efforts have drawn more than $3.65 million in external funding to benefit middle and high school students.
Science in Action is one of three innovative programs nationwide funded by a three-year Learn and Serve grant of more than $675,000. It was awarded to The University of Alabama by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
“Service learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities,” says Dr. Jane Newman, a UA education professor overseeing the Science in Action program.
AN UNDERSTUDIED FIELD
“Not much research has been done on the impact of service learning on academic learning,” says Newman, associate professor of gifted and talented education in the UA College of Education’s Special Education and Multiple Abilities Program. “It is a ‘gifted and talented’ pedagogy which I’ve used for nearly 29 years, and we are now moving it into the general classroom,” she says.
Newman, who has written extensively on teaching students to become creative producers, says researchers are looking for results in several areas.
“We are testing to see if the project will result in improvement in grades and higher order thinking skills, i.e., creative thinking, creative problem solving, decision making, planning, forecasting and communication.”
According to Newman, 21 low-income middle schools in Alabama and Georgia have each received $20,000 sub-grants to work with students in creating authentic, service-based projects in the content areas of science and technology, as part of the national STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Initiative.
NEARLY 10,000 MIDDLE SCHOOLERS INVOLVED
“We are working with 67 science teachers, 9,181 middle school students and 91 community partners to help students learn to solve science-based community problems through inquiry based service learning,” Newman says.
“Teachers will work with colleagues and experts developing their pedagogical knowledge base and ability to facilitate science-related service-learning projects to address real problems in their communities,” she says.
Dr. Dennis Sunal, UA professor of curriculum and instruction, provides the professional development in science that takes these Alabama teachers beyond the two years of training of the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative and also improves the knowledge and skill base of the Georgia teachers.
Dr. Samory Pruitt, UA vice-president for community affairs, is another co-principal investigator for the grant and will assist with the evaluation process.
Another important component of Science in Action is the Professional Learning Communities, through which teachers communicate on a regular basis about topics relevant to service learning, product development, science education, collaboration and other exemplary teaching methods.
“The teachers work with the students in creating authentic, service-based projects in the content areas of science and technology, as an extension to the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative,” Newman says.
Program examples include:
- Crossroads 2nd Chance North, a school just outside Atlanta, Ga. is building a greenhouse that will be totally organic and environmentally friendly. Students will develop skills in landscape design, business design, marketing, soil enhancement, horticulture and applied botany. They are working closely with the University of Georgia.
- Hampton-Cove Middle School in Huntsville is partnering with an impoverished school in their area to help them refurbish their outdoor classroom and improve their curriculum. They plan to replicate this model with other low socio-economic schools in the area.
“Service learning is a powerful way to help students learn these crucial subjects and spark their interest in technical fields,” says Newman. “When students know they are helping to meet a genuine need or solve a real problem, their learning is engaged and creative.”
ENGINEERING CLASSROOM SOLUTIONS
In addition to the College of Education’s Science in Action program, UA engineers have established a program in Sumter County schools focusing on incorporating engineering applications into existing science and math courses. Through a $2.98 million grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education, the College of Engineering is centering the new five-year program at two high schools and two middle schools in Alabama’s Black Belt.
By creating materials and resources for the teachers under the direction of eight UA graduate fellows, the middle and high school students better understand how engineering theories are grounded in math and science through experiential learning. The program’s theme concentrates on sustainable energy systems including renewable resources and their impact on the environment. The eight UA graduate teaching fellows are working in the Sumter County classrooms two times a week and are developing teaching modules about sustainable energy systems through experiments, worksheets and presentations.
“The impact of the graduate fellows has been very positive,” says Grace King, the school improvement specialist for Sumter County Schools. “These graduate students bring a different perspective — not only to their interaction with students, but in their delivery of instruction.
“The graduate students view learning as an active process, and having them in the classroom helps our teachers to learn to teach beyond the textbook. It is just what our students need – the opportunity to see that learning has meaning. It is a wonderful partnership.”
A TWICE BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP
While the program aims to provide resources and support for the Sumter County schools, it also focuses on equipping UA engineering students with skills and experiences to become leaders in the field of engineering. The graduate students are better able to recognize the global and societal impacts of the program by working with students from many different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
“The (high school) students are very active participants and eager to learn,” says Rebecca Macdonald, a graduate student in civil engineering and one of the eight graduate teaching fellows.
In addition to the UA faculty and graduate fellows, the program is partnering with UA’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, the Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative, Alabama Science in Motion, and the ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide) Distance Learning program.
The five-year NSF grant, led by Dr. Beth Todd, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is part of a continuing effort to address science, technology, engineering and math education. Todd previously led a similar program after landing a $1.6 million grant from the NSF Division of Graduate Education in 2004.
King, the Sumter County Schools specialist, says the schools’ students have responded well to the tasks given. “Graduate students don’t care that the students are from rural Sumter County, they simply issue the challenges and expect the students to achieve; and they do.”