Abstract
High-quality, hands-on science education is lacking in many low-resource schools. Seattle Children’s Research Institute launched a mobile science lab program in 2009 to support the efforts of schools in Washington state by providing access to engaging hands-on science activities and opportunities to interact with scientists. For this study, we provided intensive science enrichment to students in grade four and their families with the goals of improving knowledge of key topics in the life sciences, increasing engagement in learning science, and encouraging student interest in a career in STEM. Four new activities were created for this project, two of which included family participation. Students at ten Title I-eligible schools completed two new curriculum modules on the mobile lab, and students and family members attended a science night at the school and a field trip to Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Students who participated in the project demonstrated statistically significant gains in knowledge of the topics addressed by the activities and in the ability to recognize typical STEM careers and tasks associated with those careers, which persisted into grade five. The family events were well attended with family members reporting increased confidence in talking with their child about STEM.
Highlights
There is a pressing need to provide youth with the type of high-quality science education that establishes a strong foundation and stimulates interest in pursuing careers in science and other related fields
The Science Adventure Lab began visiting under-resourced Title I schools across Washington state in 2009
This new project was initiated in response to the need we observed for enriching, and in some cases, introducing life sciences education to students at these schools
Summary
There is a pressing need to provide youth with the type of high-quality science education that establishes a strong foundation and stimulates interest in pursuing careers in science and other related fields. According to the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) – known as The Nation’s Report Card – only one-third of students in U.S schools have the skills they will need to be adequately prepared for college-level science classes and for a career in STEM (U.S Department of Education, 2016). Many underserved schools lack the resources needed to provide high-quality, hands-on science education. Mobile labs offer a number of benefits by providing outreach across a large geographic area, limiting the burden on school resources, allowing students to use authentic laboratory and medical equipment, and giving students the opportunity to interact with scientists (Bonetta, 2007; Franzblau et al, 2011; Jones and Stapleton, 2017; Reid, 2001; Roden et al, 2018)
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