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An unwillingness to consider empirical evidence that contradicts one’s desired conclusion, or science denial, is an enormous barrier to producing an informed citizenry. This essay explores literature on conceptual change and motivation to put forth fresh ideas on how curricula can foster science acceptance, or the willingness to engage in critical evaluation of evidence even when it holds potential to contradict one’s preferred conclusion. Drawing from motivated reasoning and self-determination theories, this essay builds a theoretical model of how negative emotions, thwarting of basic psychological needs, and the backfire effect interact to undermine critical evaluation of evidence, leading to science denial. The model guides the proposal of several design principles for creating instruction that is likely to foster science acceptance, and puts forth the evidence-laden narrative as an exemplar. This essay calls for instructional methods that facilitate motivation toward accuracy goals by fulfilling basic psychological needs as students engage in accuracy-oriented reasoning while evaluating evidence. The conclusion suggests further lines of research that might improve our understanding of science denial and how it can be confronted in the classroom.

Current mathematics and science standards, namely the Common Core State Standards of Mathematics (CCSSM) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), emphasize engaging students in mathematical and scientific practices. This review article is driven by the question: How can we expect science and mathematics teachers to appropriately engage students in the practices of the scientific and mathematical disciplines, when most teachers themselves lack experience practicing as scientists and mathematicians? To address this question, we review the literature on teachers’ understanding of their discipline’s practices, disciplinary practices as means to engage in inquiry, and how preservice teacher engagement in undergraduate research experiences may contribute to fostering desirable understandings of their disciplines’ practices. We further posit that the communities of practice framework allows teacher educators to conceptualize how undergraduate research can foster understandings of inquiry through engagement in science and mathematical practices, thereby enabling science and mathematics teachers to construct communities of scientific and mathematical practice, respectively, in their own classrooms. We conclude with a call to both provide undergraduate research experiences to preservice science and mathematics teachers as well as an exploration of research that is needed to fully conceptualize the benefits of undergraduate research for preservice science and mathematics teachers.

Solving conservation problems requires students to apply their knowledge of ecology and evolution. We present the Endangered Species Conservation through Habitat Suitability Analysis Laboratory Activity, in which students perform habitat suitability analyses for endangered freshwater species, compelling application of ecological and evolutionary principles. Students gather natural history information for endangered species native to Illinois, synthesize publicly available GIS/map data and habitat requirements for an endangered species, and present evidence-based proposals identifying geographical regions that should be set aside for protection. Students discuss current freshwater conservation issues and develop conceptual understanding of evolution, ecology, and conservation principles and processes. Students are prompted to consider human inclusion in freshwater ecosystems and its consequences. This laboratory investigation is effective in highlighting naïve conceptions of ecology, evolution, and conservation because students are prompted to provide rationale for their management decisions and engage in scientific discourse as they conduct their habitat suitability analyses.

Environmental Data-Driven Inquiry and Exploration (EDDIE) modules engage students in analysis of data collected by networks of environmental sensors, which are used to study various natural phenome...

Ecologists are increasingly analyzing long-term and high-frequency sensor datasets as part of their research. As ecology becomes a more data-rich scientific discipline, the next generation of ecologists needs to develop the quantitative literacy required to effectively analyze,visualize, and interpret large datasets. We developed and assessed three modules to teach undergraduate freshwater ecology students both scientific concepts and quantitative skills needed to work with large datasets. These modules covered key ecological topics of phenology, physical mixing, and the balance between primary production and respiration, using lakes as model systems with high-frequency or long-term data. Our assessment demonstrated that participating in these modules significantly increased student comfort using spreadsheet software and their self-reported competence in performing a variety of quantitative tasks. Interestingly, students with the lowest pre-module comfort and skills achieved the biggest gains. Furthermore, students reported that participating in the modules helped them better understand the concepts presented and that they appreciated practicing quantitative skills. Our approach demonstrates that working with large datasets in ecology classrooms helps undergraduate students develop the skills and knowledge needed to help solve complex ecological problems and be more prepared for a data-intensive future. Project EDDIE-NSF TUES [1245707] We thank the students who participated in this study, Randy Fuller for contributing to the initial development of the Lake Mixing module, Janet Stromberg for help with qualitative data analysis, and Jon Doubek and Kate Hamre for teaching assistance. We also thank our Project EDDIE colleagues, Nick Bader, Devin Castendyk, Randy Fuller, Cathy Gibson, Luke Nave, Catherine O'Reilly, Dax Soule, Tom Meixner,and Kathleen Weathers, for helpful discussions. Project EDDIE is funded by NSF TUES 1245707, with administrative support from CeMaST (Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology at Illinois State University).

Lessons that incorporate publicly available data from Earth observing sensors can expose students to the thrill of scientific discovery.

A goal of most environmental education is to motivate students toward environmentally friendly behaviour change. This article describes a study that elucidates how such motivation can be fostered in the classroom. It compared students’ development of environmental motivation in a conventional post-secondary environmental biology course and a similar course guided by self-determination theory (SDT). Students in the SDT-guided course experienced less amotivation after the course than students in the comparison section. This article presents a preliminary empirical examination of the utility of SDT in a formal environmental education setting.

Fostering environmental motivation to perform proenvironmental behaviors is an implicit goal of most environmental education (EE) programs. However, an inadequate amount of research has offered insight into how educators can foster environmental motivation through instruction, and the few studies that address this topic share a single theoretical perspective. The present author explored self-determination theory (SDT) as an alternative research paradigm to fostering environmental motivation in the EE classroom. The author describes SDT's theoretical underpinnings, discusses its potential application to EE, and proposes 3 potentially fruitful avenues of research.

Native American reservation communities nationwide exercise sovereign control over natural resources and land-use within reservation boundaries. With the recent rapid economic growth of many of these communities, development pressures and infrastructure issues have become a foremost concern. Despite the clear need for geoscience professionals on reservations and the deep cultural connection many American Indian cultures have with the Earth, Native American students remain poorly represented in the earth sciences. The Indigenous Earth Sciences Project is an effort based at Purdue University designed to address this problem systemically by providing local, culturally-responsive avenues for success for college-bound American Indian students in the geosciences in partnership with regional universities. The Sharing the Land program is a partnership between Purdue and colleges and universities in the San Diego region, providing on-reservation education to environmental managers who often lack geoscientific expe...