DES MOINES, IOWA (October 29, 2024) — Drake University's School of Education announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $628,791 grant to Professors Jerrid Kruse (above) and Lindsay Woodward.
The grant will fund research into how teachers understand and teach complex topics with social, cultural, scientific, and technical elements, a concept known as socioscientific literacy. Kruse and Woodward will work with fourth- and fifth-grade teachers over three years, providing professional development and enabling teachers to bring socioscientific concepts into their curriculum.
“Our unique project allows teachers to understand socioscientific topics while also supporting them as they innovate ways to integrate those topics into existing lessons for their classes,” said Woodward.
“Most students who go into STEM fields acquire an affinity for STEM topics before middle school,” said Kruse. “Giving students access to scientific literacy earlier and adding social and ethical context can make science more relevant to students.”
Kruse and Woodward will gather data on the efficacy of the program by directly observing how teachers implement socioscientific knowledge and materials. Teachers from eight Des Moines area school districts are participating in the research program. Teachers are paid $3,500 for participating in the project.
