95 Teaching Them to Fish: Developing and Implementing a MicroResearch Training Program for Elementary School Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/Background The MicroResearch (MR) program was developed to build local research capacity by providing community-focused research training and mentorship to health professionals. MR supports trainees, who are community members themselves, in identifying health problems relevant to their communities and developing solutions tailored to local context, culture, and resources. The MR team has received numerous inquiries about adapting the program for delivery in schools to foster key critical thinking and reasoning skills through hands-on participation in research. Objectives The goals of the current project were to: 1) adapt the MR curriculum to the learning needs of Grade Six students while retaining the program’s core content, 2) implement MicroResearch in Schools (MRiS) for the first time in a classroom setting, and 3) examine the feasibility of MRiS from student and facilitator perspectives. Design/Methods Twenty-one Grade Six students, divided into four research teams, participated in the first MRiS offering. One graduate student coach was assigned to each team and a local researcher with MR experience was a coach mentor. The traditional 10-day workshop model was replaced with 13 sessions across three months. Content was delivered through presentations on research topics and teamwork with coaches and reinforced by the classroom teacher between sessions. Key curriculum adaptations included shorter lectures; simplified language and concepts; structured worksheets; engaging examples, games, and activities; and a field trip to tour a research institution and library. Each team identified a research question and, guided by their coach, developed a research proposal that they presented to a panel of judges. Feasibility was evaluated based on achievement of MR goals, questionnaires completed by students, and verbal and written feedback from facilitators (teacher, coaches, presenters). Results All four teams developed health-related research questions and proposals that were deemed relevant, feasible, important, and innovative by a panel of judges. Student and facilitator feedback indicated that MRiS has good potential as an effective and engaging way to teach research concepts and skills to senior elementary school students. Several opportunities to further tailor the program to the classroom setting were identified (e.g., ways to make the content even more engaging and ensure sufficient role clarity and support for coaches). Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that MRiS is feasible and, with some further adaptations, could be a vital mechanism for fostering critical thinking and reasoning skills in students. We will follow the same students as they carry out their research projects and expect that this will further reinforce these invaluable skills.