Navigating scientific literacy in the midst of crisis: teachers' challenges and supports as framed by social ecological theory

Abstract

This dissertation investigated the long-standing challenge of achieving scientific literacy in K-12 public schools, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizing a need to understand teacher experiences to address systemic issues and enhance student scientific literacy. The study focused on describing factors impacting experiences teaching scientific literacy during the COVID-19 socio-economic-health crisis. Participants included ten high school science teachers in a Northwestern state of the United States. Methods were grounded in the theoretical framework of constructivism epistemology and Bronfenbrenner's (1997) Social Ecological Theory. Data collection was modeled from the methodology of Ali et al. (2022), collecting data from teacher surveys and one-on-one interviews. Interviews produced a 1) free-ranked list, 2) concept map, and 3) interview transcription for each participant. Data analysis employed complementary strategies and consisted of two phases: 1) an initial analysis phase which employed three complementary data analysis strategies, and 2) a secondary analysis phase rooted in constant comparison for triangulated synthesis. Findings revealed factors impacting teaching scientific literacy during the socio-economic-health crisis of COVID-19 including influence from community and societal perspectives of science, student inequities, teaching dynamics, and the balancing of demands between personal and professional responsibilities. Subfactors aligned to these themes helped further describe participant experiences in context. Participants described several relationships between their social networks, or social ecologies, and factors which impacted teaching scientific literacy. Science, particularly trust in science, was centered in participant descriptions of public-level impacts. The findings underscored the need for education systems to bridge the cultural gap between science and education. Interactions and processes involved in teaching within the classroom environment presented an unexpected result, with a precisely inverse relationship between frequency and magnitude. While it was frequently encountered, it was not perceived as highly impactful compared to other factors. This finding suggests the importance of considering both frequency and magnitude of impact in decision- making processes and raises questions about the prioritization of resources and support efforts within educational systems. Recommendations include the development of culturally responsive science policies, empowering local curriculum, fostering teacher support networks, and expanding pedagogical strategies to engage students and families beyond the classroom.