Steven Gray

Knowledge gain and behavioral change in citizen-science programs.

Citizen-science programs are often touted as useful for advancing conservation literacy, scientific knowledge, and increasing scientific-reasoning skills among the public. Guidelines for collaboration among scientists and the public are lacking and the extent to which these citizen-science initiatives change behavior is relatively unstudied. Over two years, we studied 82 participants in a three-day program that included education about non-native invasive plants and collection of data on the occurrence of those plants. Volunteers were given background knowledge about invasive plant ecology and trained on a specific protocol for collecting invasive plant data. They then collected data and later gathered as a group to analyze data and discuss responsible environmental behavior with respect to invasive plants. We tested whether participants without experience in plant identification and with little knowledge of invasive plants increased their knowledge of invasive species ecology, participation increased knowledge of scientific methods, and participation affected behavior. Knowledge of invasive plants increased on average 24%, but participation was insufficient to increase understanding of how scientific research is conducted. Participants reported increased ability to recognize invasive plants and increased awareness of effects of invasive plants on the environment, but this translated into little change in behavior regarding invasive plants. Potential conflicts between scientific goals, educational goals, and the motivation of participants must be considered during program design.

An Assessment of Students' Understanding of Ecosystem Concepts: Conflating Ecological Systems and Cycles

Teaching ecological concepts in schools is important in promoting natural science and environmental education for young learners. Developing educational programs is difficult, however, because of complicated ecological processes operating on multiple levels, the unlimited nature of potential system interactions (given the openness of systems), and their often-times nonlinear dynamic processes. To understand how to effectively support learning requires first understanding how students organize their ideas and develop conceptions about the nature of ecological processes. This study investigates understanding of ecological processes using aquaria as a model closed system in a science classroom. Understanding was assessed using worksheets completed during classroom instruction. Student responses and models were coded to elucidate naïve conceptions and conceptual shifts. Our data make salient an area in which students confuse related concepts with respect to ecosystems and cycles and offer suggestions on how to address student understanding of ecological concepts, such as the explicit delineation of systems and cycles.

Ecosystem-Based Angling: Incorporating Recreational Anglers Into Ecosystem-Based Management

Coastal management institutions and recreational fishermen share concerns about the current state of marine fisheries. This article provides coastal managers with an outreach framework for recreational fishers that contextualizes social and ecosystem information toward the goals of ecosystem-based management. Based on a survey of anglers conducted at saltwater fishing expositions in the Northeast United States and on the literature, we report data on perceptions of recreational anglers about potential threats, individual fishing impacts, preferred modes of communication, conceptions, and behavior. We conclude that outreach campaigns should (a) focus on the perceived threats to the resource, (b) contextualize and justify the recommended pro-ecological target behaviors, (c) include topics of general interest to anglers, and (d) communicate through socially trusted sources.

Fostering Reasoning About Complex Systems: Using the Aquarium to Teach Systems Thinking

Middle school learners find it difficult to understand ecosystems. Here we describe an intervention that pairs structure, behavior, and function (SBF) conceptual reasoning with computer-based learning tools that focus on an aquarium as a complex biological system. Based on results from 138 middle school students, we suggest that the use of SBF ontology combined with guided questions and simulations can enable students to consider multiple aspects of system dynamics. Potential benefits of using this framework in ecological education include providing learners with a language to articulate ideas and increased ability to transfer ideas from one context to another.