How Can Participating in a Forest Community and Citizen Science Program Support Elementary School Students’ Understanding of Socio-Ecological Systems?

Shulong Yan (), Alexandra I. Race, Heidi L. Ballard, Erin Bird, Sol Henson, Evan F. Portier, Amanda Lindell, Maryam Ghadiri Khanaposhtani, Jadda M. Miller and Emma R. Schectman
Additional contact information
Shulong Yan: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Alexandra I. Race: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Heidi L. Ballard: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Erin Bird: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Sol Henson: Sierra Streams Institute, Nevada City, CA 95959, USA
Evan F. Portier: Sierra Streams Institute, Nevada City, CA 95959, USA
Amanda Lindell: Inform Evaluation & Research, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
Maryam Ghadiri Khanaposhtani: Organizational Excellence Team, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Jadda M. Miller: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Emma R. Schectman: Center for Community and Citizen Science, School of Education, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-19

Abstract: In the face of the climate crisis, sustainability education must include a focus on understandings of socio-ecological systems (SES) and applying systems thinking (ST) skills. This study investigates a Community and Citizen Science (CCS) program designed for elementary school students to collect forest data to better understand their SES and gain insights into wildfire management in a California region recently ravaged by wildfires. We examine the development of fourth-grade students’ systems thinking skills and understandings of SES, seeing these as crucial components toward fostering agency with science to support climate resilience. We found that students were capable of recognizing the intricate impacts of wildfires on interconnected human and ecological systems and demonstrated varying levels of proficiency in systems thinking skills. This place-based CCS program cultivated knowledge and skills in young learners that may contribute to better socio-ecological resilience and proactive sustainability efforts.

Keywords: Community and Citizen Science; systems thinking; socio-ecological systems; forests; environmental science agency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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