Expanding the Scope of Citizen Science: Learning and Engagement of Undergraduate Students in a Citizen Science Chemistry Lab

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed public health and wellbeing at the forefront of public concerns and interests, transforming the ways people interact and engage with science. One way to support and expand such engagement is through citizen science, which has seen huge growth over the past decade. Since many scientific fields are still largely underrepresented within citizen science, this paper explores the expansion of citizen science into new fields and settings. The study examines the learning processes and outcomes of students participating in a lab-based chemistry citizen science initiative, <em>Breaking Good</em>, and explores the “why,” “how,” and “what” of laboratory learning. Our findings reveal a dynamic learning environment characterised by the hands-on, authentic, and novel science experience within these labs. The broader context afforded by a citizen science approach was found to enhance student knowledge of course content and knowledge of both the process and nature of science alongside increased motivation. As universities are ideally placed to incorporate citizen science into higher education teaching, this paper calls for research institutions to take a leading role in this process, promoting student learning and the development of scientific fields by expanding the scope of citizen science.