The Impact of a Place-Based Citizen Science Project on Students’ Attitudes Toward STEM
Taylor, Subhashni, Brolese, Melissa, Burnett, Greg, and Taylor, Neil (2026) The Impact of a Place-Based Citizen Science Project on Students’ Attitudes Toward STEM. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 26. 20.
|
PDF (Published Version)
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This research describes a place-based citizen science project (PBCSP) between primary school students and a science-based agency, Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA), working on eradication of an invasive ant species in Queensland, Australia. The school is in a low socio-economic area with many students speaking a language other than English (LOTE) and many who identify as First Nations Peoples. The aim was to assess the impact of the PBCSP on student participation in science through involvement in a “real-life” science project. A mixed-methods case study design provided a comprehensive analysis of the research problem. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected with the school as a single case. In the quantitative phase, a Likert survey and science test provided data on students’ attitudes and knowledge of science. Qualitative data included interviews with teachers, WTMA personnel, and students. These indicated students’ attitudes towards science had become more positive. Quantitative data revealed a statistically significant improvement in attitude towards science following participation. The project was mutually advantageous, raising the interest of primary school students in science while furthering the aims of WTMA through community participation. These findings are encouraging due to the often-reported correlation between students from low socio-economic backgrounds and poor learning outcomes.
| Item ID: | 91924 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1942-4051 |
| Keywords: | Place-based citizen science, Primary school, Science attitudes, STEM |
| Related URLs: | |
| Copyright Information: | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Date Deposited: | 12 May 2026 23:45 |
| More Statistics |
Actions (Repository Staff Only)
 |
Item Control Page |