Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.
Funding agency: National Science Foundation
Program: Discovery Research K-12
HRI Role: Research
Project Description
When a global health crisis emerges, students at all levels turn to their science teachers for information and, at times, reassurance. In this way, science teachers serve a critically important public health function and become an important part of the nation’s response efforts. This study investigated (1) where teachers of science get their information about coronavirus and COVID-19, (2) what types of resources teachers find most useful, (3) what factors influence whether science teachers address COVID-19 in their instruction, and (4) how science teachers adapt their teaching in response to COVID-19. HRI recruited a nationally representative sample of K–12 teachers of science and invited them to complete a survey about their instruction related to COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, both before school buildings closed and after. The survey also collected data about how teachers addressed the virus and its transmission with their students. HRI disaggregated survey data by school-, class-, student-, and teacher-level variables to identify patterns in student opportunities. Survey data were supplemented by interviews with 50 survey respondents to gather more in-depth information related to the constructs of interest.
Anna D. Bruce
P. Sean Smith (PI)
Aisha D. Sykes
Peggy J. Trygstad (Co-PI)
Products:
COVID K-12 Technical Report Final.pdf
Science Teachers as Public Health Educators.pdf
Research Purpose
The primary research questions of the study were:
- Where do K–12 teachers of science get their information about coronavirus and COVID-19, and what types of resources do they find most useful? What resources do teachers need but not have access to?
- What factors influence whether and how science teachers address coronavirus and COVID-19 in their instruction?
- How have science teachers adapted their teaching in response to coronavirus, whether viruses and disease transmission are part of their curriculum or not? How is their instruction similar to and different from: (a) their typical instruction and (b) their instruction in response to Ebola?
