Previous research indicates that learners appear to connect with nature and have heightened environmental perceptions after participating in environmental education programs (EEPs). Positive changes in attitudes toward nature are important because they can precede environmentally responsible behaviors, such as individuals' leadership on…

Recently there has been an increase in scientists, educators, and activists moving into comedy to tell the climate story. Could using humour as an educational method encourage a greater response to the climate crisis? The present research addresses this question by exploring the impact that an environmental-based comedy show had on various…

Science education professional development (PD) experiences are important for developing effective teaching practices aligned to reform-based principles using innovative approaches, such as the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework. The ability of schools and other organizations to provide high quality science education PD was challenged…

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study examining the influence of professional development (PD) on tutors' teaching philosophies. It found that tutors construe their role in three ways: as transmitter, facilitator, or reflexive practitioner. The findings suggest most tutors, prior to a PD program, hold a teacher-focused conception…

The purpose of this article is to explore how intergroup contact theory and inclusive recreation curriculum may influence undergraduate students' perceptions of individuals with disabilities. Attitudinal barriers continue to be a constraint for people with disabilities in regards to community participation. Academic recreation programs have an…

Despite the importance of bees, there is a gap in the public's understanding of them. To help address this gap, we developed the outreach tool Experience Bees, a series of simple learning and hands-on activities to teach community members about bees and their importance in our landscapes. Program evaluation showed that participants learned about…

We examined undergraduate students' perceptions of peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) before and after participating in an inclusive book club on the college campus. Over a six-week period, undergraduate students and students with I/DD enrolled in the post-secondary education program at the university engaged in an…

This article analyzes the knowledge and attitudes of high school students regarding the temperate mountain forest of La Malinche National Park, Tlaxcala, Mexico, before and after the implementation of the science communication program called "Los Tesoros de La Malinche" (The Treasures of La Malinche). The assessment included drawings,…

Evidence shows that when an interprofessional (IP) approach is effectively implemented, it can counteract some of our most pressing health care problems. One such challenge is the lack of training in IP teamwork health care professionals receive during their education. Using a quasi-experimental matched comparison group design, this study assessed…

Preparing teachers to provide an equitable and socially just education has become a focus for many teacher preparation programs across the country. Yet, relatively little research attention has been given to the role of mentor teachers--the people who student teachers identify as most influential in their learning to teach--in this work. This…

What impact do short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs have on student learning? And are such programs more impactful than a standard face-to-face course? University administrators and faculty have long touted study abroad programs' ability to challenge stereotypes and promote cross-cultural understanding among students. However, little…

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of a poverty simulation on family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers' perception of poverty. FCS teachers (N 47) from a midwestern state participated in a poverty simulation. Participants completed a questionnaire prior to and following participation in the simulation. Quantitative data…

Increasing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) are resulting in mainstream teachers across the United States taking on the responsibility of teaching ELLs. This demands the preparation of all teachers to teach this linguistically diverse student body. Yet adequate preparation of these educators depends on insight into the beliefs that…

Teachers should have the necessary assessment knowledge and skills to contribute to students' learning. This study provides insight into how a professional development program for teachers contributed to the achievement of higher mastery levels of assessment literacy. This study used Xu and Brown's TALiP (Teacher Assessment Literacy in Practice)…

Super Parents is a group-based, Extension-led parenting program developed to enhance the parent-child relationship. Implemented by trained Head Start staff using the train-the-trainer model, this effort is achieved by teaching positive parenting practices, increasing parents' knowledge of child development, instructing parents in activities and…