Olivia Aguilar Doctoral Candidate, Cornell University Dr. Marianne Krasny, Cornell University

1. Situated Learning And Communities Of Practice In Science and Environmental Education For Hispanic Youth:The pilot study and lessons learned Olivia Aguilar Doctoral Candidate, Cornell University Dr. Marianne Krasny, Cornell University

2. Purpose • Expand upon existing theories of learning by applying them to EE research • Understand under representation and lower achievement in the sciences among U.S. minority students through a learning theory lens.

3. Objectives To meet these goals, the objectives of the study are: 1) to examine and compare communities of practice present in after-school EE programs and science classrooms in three predominately Hispanic schools in South Texas 2) to assess Hispanic student learning as identity formation in these communities of practice

4. Situated learning and communities of practice • Social context of learning • Learning as a participant in communities of practice • Moves focus from individual cognition to individual in a complex social setting

5. Communities of Practice (COP) • Joint Enterprise: negotiated response to the conditions and goals of the COP

6. Communities of Practice (COP) • Joint Enterprise: negotiated response to the conditions and goals of the COP • Mutual Engagement: interaction of people within a COP and the roles and relationships that arise and give meaning to the COP

7. Communities of Practice (COP) • Joint Enterprise: negotiated response to the conditions and goals of the COP • Mutual Engagement: interaction of people within a COP and the roles and relationships that arise • Shared Repertoire: the signs, symbols, and tools that are used as resources in the COP

8. Communities of Practice Joint Enterprise: negotiated response to the conditions and goals of the COP - What is the purpose/goal/activity/practice of the community? - Who determines this? - How is it expressed?

9. Communities of Practice Mutual Engagement: interaction of people within a COP and the roles and relationships that arise - How do people participate in the community activities/discussion? - What types of relationships exist? - In what types of roles are teachers and students engaged? - What does membership look like?

10. Communities of Practice Shared Repertoire: the signs, symbols, and tools that are used as resources in the COP - What artifacts/symbols, words, and languages are used to give meaning to this community?

11. Methodology “In general, case studies are the preferred strategy when ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions are being posed, when the investigator has little control over events, and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context (Yin, 2003, p. 1).”

12. Methods • Classroom observations • Environmental club observations (participant-observer) • Focus group interviews • Secondary data collection • Researcher reflection

13. The Environmental Club • After-school club meets once a week • Director and 2 faculty at each club • Focus on coastal issues for schools along the TX coast • Emphasizes bilingualism • Field trips around local issues and participation in local events • No set curriculum so flexible for teacher interests

14. Case selection and description • Purposeful sampling (location, population, feasibility) • Davis Middle School • Armstrong Middle School • Garcia Middle School

15. Data collectionApril, 2006- June 2006 • Davis Middle School science classroom 2 observations, 2 focus group interviews • Davis Middle School Environmental Club 1 observation, 1 focus group interview • Armstrong Middle School science classroom 2 observations, 2 focus group interviews • Armstrong Middle School Environmental Club 2 observations, 2 focus group interviews

16. Data Analysis • Validity -multiple sources -data triangulation -thick description • Reliability -observation database -interview database -triangulation

17. Davis Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Joint Enterprise • get good grades • follow instructions • see your friends • pay attention

18. Davis Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Mutual Engagement • Small peer groups exist within class • Many types of students in class • Some participate some don’t • Teacher is disciplinarian

19. Davis Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Shared Repertoire • Green booklets • whoa • silence • bell

20. Davis Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Joint Enterprise • learn about ecosystem • work towards own goal • see your friends, get to know people • something for students to do • take field trips • learn about other places, different things

21. Davis Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Mutual Engagement • program director, faculty sponsors and me • Luis is the student leader and translator • three groups of students in community but all seem to have equal footing • small group of non-ESL students get along with ESL students and can understand them, but are not necessarily friends

22. Davis Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Shared Repertoire • TX coast map • snack • sign-in sheet • Spanish language • English language

23. Armstrong Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Joint Enterprise • pass • achieve • help each other • learn as much as we can • open minds to what’s around- don’t be afraid to ask questions • not to get confused • respect and form relationship with teacher

24. Armstrong Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Mutual Engagement • those that participate are full members, those that don’t are viewed as peripheral or non-members • very few don’t participate • loud, more boisterous students seem to be leaders in class • students respect teacher

25. Armstrong Middle SchoolScience Classroom COP Shared Repertoire

26. Armstrong Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Joint Enterprise • bring environmental awareness • help the environment • improve homes • have fun

27. Armstrong Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Mutual Engagement • students have different roles • students that participate are seen as full members with equal footing • Teachers, director and “leaders” are in center of community

28. Armstrong Middle SchoolEnvironmental Club COP Shared Repertoire • TX coast map • snack • sign-in sheet

29. Garcia Middle School No data

30. Other developments • Expanding program • New science faculty at 2 sites • Late start

31. Summary of Findings • The two science classrooms studied have two distinct types of communities of practice (COP) • Students seem more enthusiastic about learning and participating in the COP that focuses on inquiry and exploration as its practice • Students’ views of practice of COP may vary in the COP

32. Summary of Findings • The two Environmental Clubs studied have two distinct types of communities of practice • Civic responsibility is main purpose at Armstrong and social interaction and individual learning are main purposes for membership at Davis • In classroom, roles seemed to translate to student type/identity vs. in club, roles related to contributions

33. Analysis of Methods • What worked -focus group interviews -student drawings -researcher reflection

34. Analysis of Methods • What didn’t - consent and assent forms - recording is tricky

35. Concluding thoughts • Missing pieces • Necessary roughness