Optimizing Pest Management Curricula for Adoption in K-12 Classrooms

Abstract

The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) is the most economically important insect pest in Hawaii, costing over $100 million annually in control and repair (Tamashiro et al. 1990). The University of Hawaii Termite Project: Educate to Eradicate is a statewide program intended to suppress termites through research and education (Grace et al. 2007). This program has been developed and conducted in partnership with USDA-ARS, and is intended as a modification of more traditional agricultural “area-wide” pest management programs, using public schools to reach and influence the behavior of Hawaii residents over a large area, rather than focusing efforts exclusively on a single community or more limited geographic area. The Educate to Eradicate K-12 curricula project has been implemented in over 350 Hawaii public school classrooms on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii, with over 12,530 students from 2001 to present. It is designed to teach children and adolescents principles of science and biology using curricula emphasizing termite biology, prevention, and control. Hawaii state science process and life science instructional standards are addressed, facilitating standards-based instruction while teaching novel termite content (HCPS III 2007). Educate to Eradicate curricula utilize live termites for observations and investigations. Students establish termite habitats that are observed over several weeks (Fig. 1). These habitats serve as the springboard for lessons on the scientific method, including data collection, predictions, and inquiry. Habitats spark class discussion of adaption, communication, and interdependence. Subsequent lessons and investigations use a range of grade-appropriate pedagogies to further explore these concepts, in addition to termite lifecycles, prevention, and control (Grace et al. 2008). Curricula incorporate both inspection of the students’ own residences for termite hazards with parent/guardian participation, and a culminating service-learning project that requires application of unit knowledge to community outreach activities. These aspects of the curricula result in knowledge transfer from participating students to homeowners within the community (Lemus et al. 2010, Schmidt et al. 2007). The goal of this project is a self-sustaining curriculum that requires limited institutional inputs, increases science literacy in Hawaii schools, and will help protect current and future homeowners from incurring structural termite damage (Mason et al. 2013a). Educate to Eradicate curricular materials, including lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, guided notes, reinforcement worksheets, insect fact sheets, and laboratory handouts, are available for teachers on compact disk and online (http://manoa. hawaii.edu/ctahr/termite/). Partner teachers in Hawaii receive professional development, materials, laboratory supplies, and equipment needed to complete the lessons. Supplies and items supplied on a loan basis include books, puppets, craft kits, preserved insects, live termites, habitats, laptops, digital microscopes, and projectors. Curricula are differentiated for grades Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4/5, middle, and high school levels. This study was initiated to flesh out factors that influence adoption and continued use of our pest management curricula in public school classrooms. Initial paperand-pencil surveys completed by partner teachers revealed trends in continuation (Mason et al. 2013b). Teacher focus groups were organized to more robustly assess Educate to Eradicate curriculum design and professional development implementation. Perceptions of key project components and supports were recorded during teacher focus groups. Our findings will inform modifications to curricula, professional development, and project supports. The goal of this assessment was to optimize our limited resources to maximize teacher continuation and student learning.