Project Goals
Goal 1: To Teach Elementary School Children Principles in Ocean Literacy and Marine Conservation
Goal 2: To Train Local Elementary School Teachers in Ocean Literacy and Marine Science Lesson Planning
Goal 3: To Train Clemson University Students in Marine Science Outreach Education and Assessment
Musical Theatre Performance
- One act musical performance (60 minutes)
Imaginary Eco-Tour to the Florida Keys
- Backstage tour - meet the crew
- Frontstage greet - meet the performers
- Marine animal touch tank with veterinarians
- Coral nursery with coral biologists
- Aquarius habitat visit with SCUBA divers
- Sea turtle nesting beach with park rangers
Teacher Survey
- 27 teachers, 25 female, 2 male
- On average 38 years old
- Political ideology (somewhat conservative)
- The teachers I work with, whose opinions I value, would expect me to teach ocean conservation (injunctive norm)
- It is expected of me to teach ocean conservation (injunctive norm)
- The people I work with, whose opinions matter to me, would approve of me teaching ocean conservation (injunctive norm)
- The teachers I work with, who are important to me, would care about teaching climate change (descriptive norm)
- The teachers I work with, who are important to me, would teach climate change (descriptive norm)
- Intention teach marine science - Injunctive norm: ocean conserv (B = 0.67, p < 0.05, r2 = 0.14)
- Intention teach climate change - Injunctive norm: climate change (B = 0.61, p < 0.05, r2 = 0.43)
- Intention participate training - Descriptive norm: climate change (B = 1.16, p <0.01, r2 = 0.50)
Docent Survey
- Mar sci knowledge - mentor - p = 0.037)
- Communication - mentor - p = 0.010)
- Import career - duration - p = 0.014)
- Grad school - duration - p = 0.001)
- Sci identity - [age], duration - p = 0.007)
- Climate threat - ideology, duration - p=0.006)
- No effect of outreach vs research
- No effect of gender
Gains for Children
- Increased awareness of human ocean connection
- Increased interest in STEM careers in marine science
Gains for Teachers
- Increased interest in teaching marine conservation and climate change if supported by others
- Increased likelihood of teaching climate change when others teach it
Gains for Undergraduates
- Increased marine science knowledge and communication skills with positive mentor experience
- Duration was important to career, graduate school, science identity, and degree of climate threat
- More liberal ideology viewed climate threat as more severe
- Science identity gains were less for older students
- Neither gender nor type of creative inquiry (research vs. outreach) influenced these gains