This proposed four-year effort envisions a new approach to promoting science literacy through science journalism as a subject of study. It is premised on a critical set of assumptions: (a) Most citizens have the need to interpret scientific information found in popular media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, online resources, science-related television programs); (b) science journalism provides reliable, well-researched science information; (c) authentic science writing provides motivation to learn; and (d) standards and rubrics specifically developed for evaluating students' science-related expository text do not exist. Thus, the project approaches science journalism as a means to assist students to investigate and coherently write about contemporary science and to learn to base assertions and descriptions on reliable, publicly available sources. To this end, the project aims to develop, pilot, and evaluate a model of instruction that focuses on the following aspects: (a) Identifying questions of both personal and public interest; (b) evaluating contemporary science-related issues; (c) making available highly regarded sources of information as exemplars (in-print, online, interviews); (d) synthesizing information; (e) assessing information based on fact-checking using the five Ws (who, what, where, when, and why); and (f) coherently explaining claims and evidence.
A hypothesis and a set of research questions guide this effort. The hypothesis is the following: If participating students successfully attain the fundamental elements of the proposed model, then they will become more literate and better critical consumers and producers of scientific information. The main guiding research question of the proposed activity is the following: Does the teaching of science journalism using an apprenticeship model, reliable data sources, and science-specific writing standards improve high school students' understanding of science-related public literacy? Secondary questions include (a) Is the teaching of science journalism an efficacious, replicable and sustainable model for improving science literacy?; (b) How useful are science-related standards and rubrics for scaffolding and evaluating students' science writing and science literacy?; and (c) What is the nature of the engagement in science that this apprenticeship invites?
(SciJourn) project. Using the model of how science journalists find and report stories, we have tested and refined a toolbox of flexible ideas and activities that teachers have used in the classroom and informal settings to engage more than 10,000 high and middle school students in exploring science, technology and health topics of personal interest. Thanks to NSF’s support, over the past 5 years we have worked with 54 teachers in 47 urban, rural and suburban public and private schools, primarily in Missouri and Kentucky, and an after school program at the Saint Louis Science Center. In summer sessions and professional development classes, the SciJourn team and teachers have explored the advantages of reading and thinking about science news articles aloud in classrooms; targeted searching for credible science information online; evaluating what is a good topic; constructing a credible science news article, podcast or video using credible sources; and revising those articles by focusing on content rather than grammar. Based on our work and what we have seen in classrooms, we have developed a set of guidelines that both help teachers and students to articulate what goes into a good science news article: 1) Topics should have some or all of these elements: personal, local, narrow, focused and up-to-date; 2) Students must effectively search for credible scientific information, especially on the Internet; 3) Any new or not well known material must be attributed to multiple, credible sources; 4) Scientific findings and technology must be explained in context, recognizing which science is preliminary and which is well established; 5) and Information needs to be accurate. Over 200 of the best student and teacher written articles have been published on SciJourner.org, which is our online science magazine that has garnered broad interest in the project and received tens of thousands of hits. We have also published 16 print issues of the SciJourner newspaper, which has been widely distributed. Topics have ranged from the health risks of tattoos, a mom’s battle with breast cancer, the discovery of a dinosaur feather, why competitive swimmers need special swimsuits, mold in the home and whether the asteroid Apophis will hit the Earth. What we find is that by exploring topics of their own choosing students become more engaged in science, realizing firsthand that it affects their lives. Even those students who aren’t published learn what constitutes a good online search and credible science source, how to read science stories and online information, and the ways science affects our lives. We have shared our research efforts, what we have learned and how the project has improved students' science literacy as measured by pre- and post-tests in more than 40 professional talks, 8 peer-reviewed journal articles and 4 peer-reviewed book chapters as of October 2013. These are detailed at SciJourn.org; additional peer-reviewed publications are under review. Three PhD's and two Masters degrees have been awarded based on research on the project; additional degree work is underway. In addition, a book outlining the entire project for teachers, entitled Front Page Science: Engaging Teens in Science Literacy, was published in 2012 and is available from the National Science Teachers Association. The book is supported by classroom materials that can be downloaded on Teach4SciJourn.org and through an online course. An additional benefit of the project is that our focus on literacy has brought English language teachers into the project and given us a chance to discuss SciJourn at meetings focused on writing.
