Advancing Civic Science through University Students’ Service-learning with Youth

Abstract

Drawing upon Dewey’s centering of science as a tool for democracy, the emerging field of civic science aims to strengthen the ties between science, citizenship, and democracy (Bäckstrand, 2003; Garlick & Levine, 2017; Spencer, 2015). In this study, we seek to understand whether and how university students who are aspiring scientists and science teachers develop civic-minded dispositions and competencies that are essential components of civic science. This study uses a qualitative research design that is exploratory yet conceptually rooted in civic development theory and the emergent civic science approaches (Flanagan, 2013). Using prompted reflections aimed at the intersection of scientific and civic realms, this study explores the ways in which university students who participated in a service-learning course facilitating science outreach for youth over two semesters 1) made meaning of the connections between scientific and civic skills and dispositions; and 2) how the service-learning experience influenced their civic identities.