Print PagePathways in Environmental Literacy is a National Science Foundation Mathematics and Science Partnership project which is establishing learning progressions for environmental science. The strands selected for study were the water cycle, carbon cycle, and biodiversity. It was hypothesized that comprehension of these three concepts was essential to the development of environmental literacy. In addition, three themes were identified as being integral to developing informed environmental decision makers: quantitative reasoning (QR), citizenship, and cultural relevance. This presentation will focus on the QR research question: What are the essential quantitative reasoning abilities that are required for the development of environmental literacy? The QR research team is using a learning progressions theoretical framework with three overarching progress variables: quantitative literacy (arithmetic understandings supporting science), quantitative interpretation (process of interpreting scientific models to determine trends and make predictions), and quantitative modeling (creation of models by the student). Clinical interviews are the initial method of gathering data to validate and revise the hypothetical learning progression. Clinical interviews allow for a deeper insight into student reasoning with faster turnaround for revising the progression. The interviews are transcribed and coded using the Grounded Theory method. Analysis of the interviews informs the revision of the framework. The revised framework is used to revise the clinical interview and develop a written summative assessment used to track progress in teaching and learning QR aspects of environmental literacy.
Results/Conclusions
The research team believes that QR is seldom expressed when students are functioning at the local level, however, as students scale up to landscape or down to microscopic and atomic views, the need for QR becomes paramount. If students are to become environmentally literate citizens they must address the grand challenges facing their generation, which will require them to scale up to global and down to atomic levels. To address these barriers the QR team has pilot tested clinical interview questions and is currently working on the development of more extensive interview protocols, assessments, and professional development rooted in QR in environmental science. The QR team will pilot clinical interview items with a focus on global environmental challenges in spring 2011. Analysis of data from these interviews will be used to revise the QR learning progressions and explore interrelationships between QR and environmental science learning progressions. Development of a written assessment based on this analysis will begin late in spring 2011.
