Developing progress variables for the Carbon Cycle, by Karen Draney, Jinnie Choi, Yong-Sang Lee, and
Yong-Sang Lee, and Mark Wilson
This article explores the development of progress variables that outline the learning progression of students regarding their understanding of the generation, transformation, and oxidation of carbon within interconnected human and natural systems.
A progress variable embodies a cognitive learning theory that emphasizes assessments designed with a developmental perspective on student learning This approach focuses on evaluating how students advance from novice to expert in a specific domain, rather than merely measuring their competence after completing learning activities Ultimately, the goal is to illustrate a continuum of knowledge, highlighting the qualitative differences between a relatively naive understanding and a more expert level of comprehension.
The major progress variables we discuss in this poster include "Tracing Matter" and
"Tracing Energy." We describe in detail the tools and processes we have used to develop the hierarchies for our progress variables, including:
• Analysis of student responses to individual items related to each progress variable.
• Selection of exemplar responses to represent each level of each progress variable.
• Multiple scoring of selected response sets, and group discussion to resolve any scoring discrepancies.
• Analysis of selected student interview data.
We will focus on analyzing data from various item sets related to progress variables using item response modeling techniques Our findings will be presented through empirical maps, which will help us explore the relationship between these analyses and our theoretical progress variables, providing valuable insights.
Developing a K-12 Learning Progression for Carbon Cycling in Socio-Ecological Systems, by Jing Chen,
This article explores students' understanding of the generation, transformation, and oxidation of organic carbon within socio-ecological systems, emphasizing their perspectives on matter cycling and transformations in biogeochemical processes.
We created an Upper Anchor framework centered on model-based representations of carbon cycling, aligned with existing national standards and research This Upper Anchor reflects a coherent understanding of carbon-transforming processes that high school students can grasp In contrast, the Lower Anchor draws from our insights and research on the reasoning capabilities of elementary school students.
We analyzed 60 student responses to 14 open-ended assessment items focused on matter cycling during metabolic processes in living systems, such as the origins of a tree's mass and the fate of matter when a dead tree decomposes Additionally, we explored combustion in human-engineered systems by posing questions about the burning of a match and the disappearance of gasoline from an empty gas tank Furthermore, we conducted interviews with 34 students, asking them to categorize seemingly unrelated events like plant growth, child activity, tree decay, and candle burning, while explaining their reasoning behind the groupings.
Through an iterative assessment process, we identified Levels of Achievement that illustrate how students progress towards a deeper understanding of scientific concepts Younger learners (Level 2) view the world in macroscopic terms, believing that living organisms operate under different rules than inanimate objects, and often overlook the concept of matter conservation For instance, they may think trees grow simply because that’s how it is, while students at Level 3 begin to understand that trees grow by absorbing water and nutrients In contrast, Level 5 learners comprehend a complex, hierarchically organized system where both organisms and inanimate matter are interconnected, recognizing that cells and chemical substances adhere to specific chemical rules that govern matter transformations.
Our analysis shows that science education effectively advances students from Levels 1 to 3 to Level 4, but only Level 5 students can articulate the carbon cycle's movement through the atmosphere, biomass, and fossil fuels, with rare occurrences of such understanding We highlight the essential transition required between Level 4 and Level 5 reasoning, emphasizing its significance for assessment and curriculum development.
Developing a Learning Progression for Energy in Environmental Systems, by Hui Jin and Charles W Anderson
This research aims to establish a learning progression that outlines the journey from informal reasoning to scientific model-based reasoning regarding energy consumption and its impact on global warming The learning progression is structured into three components: an upper anchor, intermediate levels, and a lower anchor, each comprising multiple levels of achievement.
The Loop Diagram serves as the upper anchor for scientific model-based reasoning, illustrating how various macroscopic environmental events—such as growth, breathing, eating, moving, and burning—interact within physical, biological, and socio-economic systems on a large scale These macroscopic events and their extensive impacts are fundamentally driven by three essential atomic and molecular processes.
• Organic carbon generation & harnessing energy in photosynthesis;
• Organic carbon transformation & energy passing on in digestion and biosynthesis;
• Organic carbon oxidation & energy dissipating in cellular respiration and combustion
A scientific model-based reasoning should successfully trace energy within and across these processes In particular, it involves two aspects of understanding:
• Tracing energy separately from matter
Intermediate Levels of student reasoning emerge from the blend of intuitive understanding and formal school science, while the Lower Anchor reflects students' naive causal reasoning upon entering school To explore these levels, we conducted written assessments and interviews with students from upper elementary to high school Our findings reveal that students at the Lower Anchor (Levels 1 and 2) identify Agency at the organism level, acknowledging that living beings possess Agency for self-initiated activities, yet they explain bodily functions like breathing and digestion primarily in terms of life requirements Additionally, they often rely on natural tendencies to explain environmental events In contrast, students at Intermediate Levels (Levels 3 and 4) start to incorporate energy into their explanations Level 3 students view energy as a common resource driving events, while Level 4 students attempt to apply scientific principles of energy and matter conservation to processes However, they often struggle to differentiate between matter and energy transformations and may overlook the degradation associated with energy transformation, as seen in processes like cellular respiration where glucose is converted into energy for movement.
Less than 10% of high school students reached Level 5, the minimum level needed to understand how energy influences socio-ecological processes This highlights a significant gap in K-12 education, where teaching methods do not effectively enable students to utilize energy as a key concept for analyzing socio-ecological challenges We propose recommendations for enhancing curriculum, assessment, teaching practices, and educational standards to address this issue.
A Learning Progression for Water in Environmental Systems
Three posters and papers focus on students’ accounts of water in environmental systems.
A Learning Progression for Processes that Move Water through Socio-Ecological Systems, by Kristin L Gunckel, Beth A Covitt, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, Rebecca Dudek, Charles W Anderson
Systems, by Kristin L Gunckel, Beth A Covitt, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, Rebecca Dudek, Charles
Students in second grade learn about the water cycle, often illustrating its processes, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and water flow However, by high school, many struggle to apply this knowledge to analyze and make decisions for sustainable fresh water management This poster highlights efforts to create a K-12 learning progression aimed at fostering environmental literacy, enabling students to understand the movement of water within interconnected human and natural systems.
Over three years of iterative design research, we created a learning progression focused on environmental literacy This process started with the establishment of an upper anchor framework outlining essential knowledge for citizens regarding the movement of water within interconnected systems.
We aligned our framework with contemporary disciplinary knowledge regarding water in environmental systems and developed assessments for students in grades 2 through 12 to gauge their understanding of this topic Additionally, we conducted in-depth interviews with a selected sample to further explore their insights on water's role in environmental systems.
On October 18, 2022, we conducted an analysis of student data to enhance understanding of their ideas and track progress toward upper anchor understandings By utilizing research on student learning, we informed our evaluation of student responses, leading to the development of progress variables and achievement levels Each round of assessment and analysis has guided us in refining the upper anchor, revising assessment questions for clearer insights into student thinking, and updating progress variables and achievement levels accordingly.
Our poster outlines a coherent learning progression that aligns with contemporary research We are actively validating the learning performances, achievement levels, and progress variables The student responses showcased in our poster reflect real data, and our ongoing analysis aims to confirm these responses across various questions and progress metrics.
Environmentally literate citizens possess a comprehensive understanding of water movement through interconnected systems, recognizing its multiple pathways and the structural connections between these systems They are aware of the origins of water used for human activities and its eventual destination post-use This knowledge spans both landscape scales, such as watershed boundaries, and micro-scales, like aquifer pore spaces Additionally, they grasp the processes involved in the water cycle, including evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff, and can articulate these processes at the atomic-molecular level Ultimately, the learning progression aims for citizens to employ model-based reasoning to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze water movement within these connected systems.
Our poster showcases the latest version of the learning progression, which complements the learning progression for processes affecting water quality presented in a different poster at this session This poster focuses on the movement of water through interconnected systems, emphasizing key progress variables such as understanding system structures and the processes that facilitate water movement Since a comprehensive understanding of these processes hinges on grasping the structural aspects of the systems, the example questions included in the learning progression address both structural and process-related progress variables.
Student responses indicate that while lower-level students can identify natural systems and trace the movement of water, they often lack an understanding of the mechanisms behind this movement For instance, a Level 1-2 student might simply state, “Water on the ground goes into the clouds one day,” reflecting a human-centric view In contrast, Level 5 students demonstrate a deeper understanding by explaining water pathways through atmospheric and groundwater systems, incorporating mechanisms like evaporation and infiltration at a molecular level Spatial visualization skills are crucial, as students progress in their ability to interpret maps and analyze water movement Although all students recognize that water flows downhill, lower-level students may struggle to determine this direction on a map, whereas upper-level students can predict water flow and assess the impact of pollutants on various watersheds Current analysis suggests that by high school, most students reach Level 4 reasoning, but only a few achieve the advanced Level 5 model-based reasoning necessary to fully describe water movement in interconnected systems.
As students progress in their academic achievement, they demonstrate a heightened awareness of both microscopic and macroscopic structures and processes Advanced students can identify the atomic composition of matter and articulate the behavior of atoms during various water-related processes Furthermore, they understand the movement of water across diverse landscapes and its flow on a continental scale.
As students advance in their education, they increasingly recognize the interconnections between various systems, particularly the relationship between groundwater and surface water Higher-achieving students gain a deeper understanding of how water infiltrates and interacts within these systems Additionally, the link between human systems and natural systems becomes more apparent, though it poses significant challenges for students Ongoing research aims to identify the achievement level at which this connection becomes clear, suggesting that the difficulties may stem from limited exposure to the complexities of human-natural system interactions rather than a lack of comprehension.
The learning progression of water movement through environmental systems highlights significant implications for the K-12 curriculum Currently, the curriculum is fragmented, hindering students' ability to develop a cohesive understanding of how water interacts within interconnected natural and human systems While topics like phase changes in physical science and groundwater in Earth science are covered, they are seldom integrated after early elementary education to foster a comprehensive, model-based understanding of water in these systems Additionally, certain aspects of the water cycle remain unaddressed in the curriculum, indicating a need for a more unified approach to teaching this critical topic.
Watersheds are notably absent from key educational frameworks such as the NRC National Science Education Standards and the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy This omission is significant, as it limits students' understanding of the interconnectedness of human activities and the water cycle Typically, students do not investigate how humans source water or the fate of water after its use, which hinders their ability to make meaningful connections among environmental systems.
The findings indicate that students require additional opportunities to engage with water across various scales, emphasizing the importance of exploring both microscopic and macroscopic structures and processes.
One significant challenge students face is their ability to grasp the structure and processes of individual water systems, such as watersheds and groundwater, while struggling to understand how these systems interconnect To effectively trace the movement of water through various pathways, students must first gain a solid understanding of each system's structure before exploring the connections between them.
We are currently in the process of analyzing a new round of student assessments This spring, we expect to validate the achievement levels for this learning progression by examining responses from the same students across various questions.
10/18/22, Page 24 progress variables In our next design cycle, we plan to conduct teaching experiments to validate student progress from one level the next
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) Benchmarks for science literacy.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Dickerson, D., Penick, J E., Dawkins, K., & Van Sickel, M (2007) Groundwater in science education Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18(1), 45-62.
National Research Council (1996) National science education standards Washington, D.C.:
Shepardson, D., Wee, B., Priddy, M., Schellenberger, L., & Harbor, J (2007) What is a watershed? Implications of student conceptions for environmental science education and the national science education standards Science Education, 91(4), 523-553.
A Learning Progression for Processes that Alter Water Quality in Socio-Ecological Systems, by Beth A Covitt, Kristin L Gunckel, Hasan Abdel-Kareem, Rebecca Dudek, Charles W Anderson
Understanding water in environmental systems goes beyond basic knowledge; it encompasses the complexities of water quality and the interactions between water and various substances This literacy involves connecting the movement of water through different systems with the concepts of mixtures and solutions The focus of this content is to enhance students' comprehension of processes where substances combine with or separate from water, applicable in both human-engineered systems, such as water pollution and treatment, and natural systems, like wetland filtration and groundwater solubility.
The development of this learning progression is based on years of design-based research focused on water's movement within socio-ecological systems By categorizing water literacy into moving water and substances within water, we have refined the progress variables under examination Our interest lies in exploring understandings that have been largely overlooked in past research For instance, while there has been some investigation into students' comprehension of groundwater systems, there is a notable lack of studies addressing how substances in mixtures and solutions interact and move within these systems.
Over the past three years, we have developed an upper anchor framework outlining the essential knowledge and skills that environmentally literate citizens should possess regarding substances in coupled human-natural water systems We have also designed and revised water assessments for students in grades five through twelve Our analysis of student responses has led to the establishment of a lower anchor, defining levels of understanding within our substances in water learning progression This work is grounded in research to ensure that our learning performances and achievement levels are conceptually coherent with water science and the chemistry of mixtures and solutions To empirically validate the learning progression, we utilize real student data, analyze consistency in achievement levels across various questions, and examine response frequencies among elementary, middle, and high school students Future efforts will include pre-post teaching experiments to assess how instructional methods can facilitate students' advancement to higher levels of understanding and practices.
Results thus far show several patterns of developing understanding related to scale, chemical identity, and tracing matter
Scale: Levels one and two students focus on the macroscopic scale and visible objects
As students progress through various levels of education, they deepen their understanding of atoms and molecules, recognizing their properties and interactions At level three, students may refer to atoms and molecules as small particles, such as describing water molecules simply as bits of water However, at advanced levels, students utilize atomic-molecular models, like those of salt water, to elucidate macroscopic phenomena, for instance, explaining why rain near the ocean is not salty.
Chemical Identity: Levels one and two students often identify objects not substances
Water pollution is often perceived as merely "trash" in our environment As students progress in their understanding, they encounter a gradual clarification of the various substances that contaminate water Initially, they may refer to these pollutants in a vague manner, using terms like chemicals or molecules However, as their education deepens, they begin to identify and categorize common pollutants more accurately, enhancing their comprehension of water quality issues.
“chlorine”), through identification that demonstrates atomic-molecular level awareness of the properties of different substances (e.g., “Na+, Cl-, appropriate diagrammatic representations).
Understanding matter varies by educational level, with level one and two students believing that unseen matter, such as dissolved salt, no longer exists Level three students start to grasp the concept of mixtures but struggle to differentiate between substances in solutions and suspensions, often misunderstanding how these substances move through water systems They may incorrectly assume that suspended substances like mud will travel into groundwater or that salt will evaporate alongside water in a saltwater solution By level four, students show improved comprehension of how substances behave in solutions versus suspensions, recognizing that substances in solution typically do not evaporate with water, although confusion about volatile substances remains Few students reach level five understanding, which involves atomic-molecular descriptions of how substances interact with water.
Students often struggle to grasp atomic-molecular level explanations of water mixing with other substances, which is crucial for understanding real-world applications Connecting these scientific concepts to practical scenarios, such as water treatment methods, is essential for informed decision-making A notable example is the recent E coli contamination of spinach, highlighting the importance of understanding how different water treatments can eliminate harmful substances.
Currently, instruction about water in environmental systems often focuses on just water.
Water education should actively combine the study of water within environmental systems with the understanding of mixtures and solutions to enhance environmental science literacy Additionally, effective teaching strategies are essential for fostering environmental literacy in students.
10/18/22, Page 26 address connected water cycle and mixtures/solutions processes at the atomic-molecular scale.
Dickerson, D., & Dawkins, K (2004) Eighth grade students' understandings of groundwater
Comparing Palestinian and American Students’ Accounts of Water in Environmental Systems, by Hasan Abdel-Kareem and Charles W Anderson
Freshwater sustainability is a critical concern alongside global warming and other environmental issues, highlighting the need for environmental literacy in school science curricula This literacy equips citizens to engage in socio-ecological debates and understand the water cycle's implications Environmentally literate individuals recognize how their personal practices can impact water quality and availability policies This study compares the understanding of the water cycle among two groups of American learners, emphasizing the importance of fostering environmental awareness in education.
Palestinian students understand concepts and processes related to water systems
Our research was conducted in two distinct regions: Michigan and Palestine, which differ significantly in their environmental and cultural contexts In Palestine, particularly in the West Bank, water resources are scarce, making access to drinking water during the summer a significant challenge In contrast, Michigan boasts abundant water availability, especially with the presence of the Great Lakes, allowing students there to have ample direct experiences with surface water such as rivers and lakes.
The socio-political contexts of the Palestinian Territories and Michigan highlight the significance of water management as a potential source of conflict, particularly in the ongoing dispute between Palestinians and Israelis over water rights This issue has become a pivotal topic in negotiations, alongside other critical matters such as Jerusalem, borders, settlements, and refugees, indicating the need for global environmental literacy regarding water Despite these differing contexts, both Palestine and Michigan's school curricula incorporate education on the water cycle, emphasizing the universal importance of understanding water resources.
Our main goal in this study was to understand how those two different groups reason about concepts and processes associated with the water cycle
We developed a comprehensive assessment to evaluate understanding of key concepts related to water systems This assessment consists of three main sections: the first part includes multiple-choice and short-answer questions that test factual knowledge about water distribution and its use in daily life The second part assesses learners' reasoning skills regarding scientific representations of the water cycle, prompting them to engage with and analyze these concepts critically.
Kristin L Gunckel, Beth A Covitt, and Rebecca Dudek contributed to the development of this water assessment, which involved participants creating visual representations of the water cycle and river watersheds The assessment concluded with questions that required students to follow the movement of water through both natural and human-engineered systems Additionally, the test has been translated into Arabic for broader accessibility.
In our study, approximately 1,000 students from upper elementary, middle, and high school participated, representing 20 schools across Michigan and Palestine This poster presents initial findings derived from a representative sample of high school students.
Our analysis reveals that both Palestinian and American students exhibit similar trends in their understanding of the water cycle, particularly in relation to formal school science curricula Responses to factual questions and scientific representations show notable similarities However, the students' geographical location and cultural background significantly influence their reasoning about water-related issues.
A significant majority of American and Palestinian students, over 90%, are aware that approximately three-fourths of the Earth's surface is covered by water However, less than 20% understand that only 3% of this water is fresh Notably, around 82% of Palestinian students believe that most fresh water is found underground, while 60% of American students recognize that the majority is located in icecaps and glaciers at the Poles This disparity highlights how local experiences shape individuals' perceptions of water systems.
Both groups exhibited similarities in their approach to scientific representations, particularly when tasked with illustrating groundwater and watershed boundaries Approximately 78% of participants successfully depicted these concepts in their drawings.
A study revealed that 82% of Palestinian students, along with American students, mistakenly believe that groundwater is stored in layers, rivers, or artificial containers Few students could accurately illustrate water existing in spaces and cracks within rocks and sediment Additionally, both groups faced challenges in drawing watershed boundaries for rivers and their tributaries, with most students not responding to this question, suggesting a lack of understanding of the concept.
The study highlights the local understanding of environmental crises, particularly regarding drinkable water quality and availability, despite their global implications American and Palestinian students exhibited differing responses when tracing water through human and natural systems For instance, when asked to trace water from its source to their showerhead, American students demonstrated a clearer awareness of water treatment processes and the integration of recycling and engineering systems In contrast, only about 20% of Palestinian students believed that water would be treated before reaching their homes, while nearly half of the American participants recognized that treatment occurs both before and after water enters their residences.
Many participants struggled to visualize invisible elements of the water cycle, such as underground water, regardless of their geographical location Furthermore, there was a notable deficiency in their ability to translate two-dimensional maps into real-world contexts.
10/18/22, Page 28 systems, such as the water flow in watersheds Thus, science teachers and curriculum designers should keep these difficulties in mind in order to engage learners in such tasks
Local culture and global perspectives significantly influence environmental literacy, as evidenced by the distinct ways two groups traced water through both natural and human systems Our findings indicate that while many environmental issues are perceived as global, the learners' geographical locations and cultural backgrounds are crucial in shaping their understanding of these challenges.
In the Middle East, water is often referred to as "blue gold" due to its scarcity, making water resource management a critical issue in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict This dilemma extends to other regions where environmental challenges intertwine with political struggles Therefore, the involvement of environmentally literate citizens in discussions and decision-making regarding their local water resources is essential for sustainable solutions.
A Learning Progression for Biodiversity in Environmental Systems
The Development of a K-12 Learning Progression for Biodiversity in Environmental Systems, by Josie Zesaguli, Edna Tan, Blakely Tsurusaki, Brook Wilke, Laurel Hartley and Charles W Anderson
This poster presents an Upper Anchor, aimed at fostering environmental literacy among high school graduates, illustrated through a modified loop diagram that highlights the interplay between environmental systems and human social and economic systems, connected by impact and ecological services arrows The objective of this phase of the environmental science literacy research project is to iteratively test and refine previously developed learning progressions related to biodiversity in environmental systems Specifically, we evaluated students’ comprehension of phylogenetic and ecological connections at both the individual organism level and within broader contexts such as populations, communities, and ecosystems To achieve this, we designed assessment items based on real-life socio-ecological scenarios across three systems: a farm, a forest, and a park These items were then combined to create three tests—Park and Farm, Park and Forest, and Farm and Forest—administered by consenting elementary, middle, and high school teachers to their students across urban, suburban, and rural schools in Michigan.
Many students identified genetic, environmental, and life-cycle factors as reasons for individual differences within a population, but overlooked the interactions among these factors Additionally, there was a lack of references to genetic variability and selective breeding when discussing population changes over time, such as in the case of the diversity seen in dog breeds.
A limited number of students recognized the role of variation and selection in the development of insect resistance to pesticides Additionally, there appears to be a lack of understanding among students regarding the connection between genetic diversity and a population's resilience to ecological disturbances, such as disease outbreaks.
In a recent survey, students were asked about the potential changes in communities following the cessation of chronic disturbances like farming Most believed that human-managed ecosystems would transform once abandoned, often suggesting a return to a so-called "natural" state, though few could clearly define what this state would entail Their perceptions aligned with Frederic Clements' classic theories on climax communities However, the students' responses lacked details on the mechanisms driving community composition changes, such as seed dispersal and competitive exclusion, as well as the influence of abiotic factors like climate and soil type.
Only a small number of students achieved Level 5 by providing accurate model-based explanations that adhered to principles and incorporated unseen processes like selection The findings reveal that when students received information about a specific section of the "Loop diagram," their capacity to utilize that information for explaining and predicting other sections of the loop was limited These results will have significant implications for the development of science curricula, instructional methods, and assessment strategies.
A Learning Progression for Practices of Environmentally Responsible
Students’ use of family, individual and school-based resources for making socio-ecological decisions, by
Socio-ecological issues require us to make informed decisions based on contested evidence This study explores how students approach these decisions through their environmental science citizenship We created two interview protocols: one focused on students' roles as food consumers and the other on their responsibilities as voters regarding a hypothetical well-drilling scenario Conducting 22 interviews with students from elementary to high school, we aimed to identify the resources they utilize when reasoning about socio-ecological issues Our findings suggest that integrating these intuitive resources into the school science curriculum can enhance students' understanding of environmental issues, ultimately preparing them to make informed personal and societal decisions.
We employed two frameworks to analyze the resources utilized by students during our discussions Initially, we applied the "Loop Diagram for Environmental Science Literacy," created by the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Planning Committee in 2007, to explore the framework of students' comprehension regarding the interconnectedness of human and natural systems.
We focused on how students positioned themselves within the loop diagram, examining the relationship between their actions and environmental systems, as well as the ecosystem services these systems offer to them as consumers.
The second framework is a cultural-historical approach to learning (Gutiérrez & Rogoff,
In her exploration of cultural communities, Gutiérrez (2003) emphasizes the significance of "people's history of engagement" in educational practices She argues that these practices emerge from the intersection of cultural artifacts, beliefs, values, and normative routines, which she refers to as activity systems (Gutiérrez, 2002) By analyzing these activity systems, Gutiérrez suggests that we can gain insights into how various forms of participation are linked to the cognitive processes individuals utilize.
On October 18, 2022, we explored how cognitive and social functions contribute to socio-ecological decision-making through an analysis of student interviews This study highlights the various roles and identities students adopt, the familial and school-based knowledge they utilize, the types of agency they exhibit, and the decisions they make in environmental science scenarios.
Methods (Think Aloud Interviews Related to Two Scenarios)
We conducted interviews to evaluate students' understanding and engagement with citizenship issues, concentrating on pre-defined topics Through these interviews, we presented students with specific tasks and explored their reasoning behind the choices they made (refer to Appendix for think-aloud interview protocols).
The Strawberry Citizenship Interview involved students answering background questions about their roles as consumers and learners, their interest in science, and their understanding of environmental issues Participants completed two ordering tasks: first, ranking food products from most to least nutritious, which highlighted their consumer perspectives and environmental system services; second, ranking the same products from most to least environmentally friendly, emphasizing human actions and their environmental impacts In both tasks, students were required to justify their rankings based on perceived nutrition and environmental friendliness.
The water citizenship interviews explored students' perspectives on water usage and preferences for bottled versus tap water, as well as their awareness of environmental impacts Students were presented with a real scenario involving a company's proposal to expand its water bottling operations by drilling a new well in Michigan Following this introduction, they were questioned about their scientific understanding of the situation and their civic responsibilities regarding the water bottling issue Throughout the interviews, students received additional insights from various stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions and articulate their positions on the matter.
Students' identities and family practices significantly influence their decision-making processes, as those with a strong connection to these aspects tend to have a better understanding of the loop diagram Furthermore, students who identify more closely with their roles demonstrate greater agency in their choices.
Students exhibit a diverse range of comprehension regarding environmental and social systems, particularly in how human actions influence these systems Those with a limited grasp of the loop diagram are less inclined to engage with or utilize scientific evidence in their arguments This variability in understanding highlights the importance of effective teaching strategies to enhance students' ability to connect evidence with environmental and social contexts.
The findings indicate that schools play a limited role in equipping students with essential environmental knowledge, as evidenced by their minimal use of school science concepts during interviews about strawberries Students exhibited varying degrees of reliance on their incomplete understanding of water systems, highlighting a gap in their education Overall, schools are not effectively fostering the skills and knowledge required for students to make informed and environmentally responsible decisions.