The effects of conducting community conservation projects in middle school life sciences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how connecting middle school science students with community conservation projects would impact their learning and attitudes towards natural resources. Research shows that children with limited access to natural environments have fewer pro-environmental behaviors in the future (Louv, 2008; Yamanoi et al., 2021). This study was inspired by the closing of salmon fisheries in California due to population declines and the removal of old growth oak trees for levee improvements in Sacramento. Pretreatment consisted of a fall field trip to observe spawning salmon and to collect native oak acorns. Students also participated in raising salmon and trout in a classroom aquarium and growing acorns into seedlings. The treatment for the 12-week study took place during two subsequent field trips to learn about urban fisheries and forestry management. The winter field trip to a fish hatchery helped students understand where our classroom eggs originated and the role hatcheries play in managing fish populations. On the final spring field trip, students released fish into the American River and participated in a community service clean-up. The impact of the treatment was assessed using a mixed-methods design. Pre and post surveys measured changes in students’ attitudes towards science and conservation work. Open-ended survey responses highlighted shifts in pro-environmental values and behaviors. Pre and post assessments measured changes in content knowledge with Concept Maps. Data showed an increase in the mean, median, and mode from the pre to the post assessment Concept Maps. The mean increased by 40% after the treatment. Post Survey results determined that students would like to participate in similar community service and conservation work in the future. Students responded, “I loved raising the fish because it felt like having a class pet and we had an in-person interaction with our subject." These findings suggest that students took ownership of their learning because they played a role in helping their community. Conservation work has proven to be an effective tool that elevates science education.